RockABye Baby
by catch me if u can
Summary: Kurt has a secret that he's been hiding from Blaine, even after transfering to Dalton.  Kurt made a beautiful mistake with Brittany. Will his revelation draw them closer together or farther apart? AU Rated for language & sweet boy kisses in later chapter
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is my first Glee fic, and it is AU. I am in love with Kurt and Blaine. I think this could easily stand as one shot, but please let me know if you would like me to continue it into a multi-chaptered story/multiple one shots of this universe. Thanks for reading, please review they are much appreciated!

"Hey Kurt, wait up!" Kurt heard Blaine yelling from the entrance of the Warbler's practice hall. He pivoted slowly allowing the shorter boy to catch up with him before he continued to stride down the hallway towards the side entrance to the student parking lot. Blaine linked their arms in only a way the most comfortable of friend could do. Kurt felt himself blush with guilt. Even though Blaine had quickly become one of his closest friends he had not been entirely honest with the dapper young man.

"Want to grab a coffee?" Blaine asked sweetly. "We haven't been to the Lima Bean since you transferred."

"I'm sorry Blaine, I really am. I'd love to go but I can't." He said his voice full of honest remorse that Blaine clearly picked up on.

Blaine cocked his head to the side and caught Kurt by the elbow as he made to exit the building. "Is everything alright Kurt?"

Kurt charged ahead and Blaine followed him towards his SUV. "Everything's fine, it's just… It's complicated." He paused with his hand on the door handle.

"What's complicated? Come on Kurt, I thought we were friends, you can tell me anything. You know that." Blaine whined his face looking crestfallen.

Kurt took in his best friend's appearance and couldn't do it any longer. "Just get in the car" he ordered with a great sigh.

"What?"

"Get your Warbler butt in the car. I promise I'll bring you back safe and sound." He said sarcastically.

Kurt punched around on his phone as Blaine ran across the car to the passenger side. "Hey Mom, everything's fine, no it's just… I'm bringing Blaine home with me… Yeah I'm sure." He held his hand over the receiver as he turned to Blaine, "Carole wants to know if pork chops are okay for dinner?"

"Uhh yeah sure. That's fine." Blaine had no idea he was even staying for dinner.

"He says that's fine… Tell her I say I love her and I miss her and I can't wait to see her. Thanks Carole, Mom," he corrected himself and paused as Carole spoke and then gave a small chuckle "I know, see you soon."

"So…" Blaine let out, unsure of whether everything was to be explained to him or not and incredibly confused as to who this girl Kurt was expressing his love towards.

"I know, I know." Kurt sighed with exasperation misinterpreting Blaine's syllable. "I love her like a mom, but she's not my real mom so do I call her Carole or do I call her mom? I guess I should know by now it's been a year." Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "I just call her whatever I feel in the moment and I think we're both just getting used to it."

"I'm sure it's not a big deal Kurt" Blaine assured him.

"I guess so" Kurt said with a noncommittal shrug.

The rest of the hour long car ride went comfortably with the boys listening to the radio and singing along to all of the songs they knew. As they saw a sign for Lima Kurt turned down the music and stole a quick nervous glance at Blaine.

"So I can never go out for coffee after school anymore because I work at four, everyday. Whenever we went for coffee it was when you didn't have rehearsal and you got out at two because you're an honors student, and we would both make it to the Lima Bean by 3:30. I work three hours a day, four to seven. I have Wednesday's off." He started by explaining the simplest things.

Blaine opened his mouth to interrupt because this very day was indeed a Wednesday.

"You will see in a minute why I can't get coffee with you on a Wednesday, why I have never gotten coffee with you on my day off. No offense, cause I'm glad he did it, but you should know that I used to always go home for an hour after school and before work but my dad practically forced me to start getting coffee with you, and he absolutely forced me to go see Rent with you."

Pain struck across Blaine's face. "Kurt if you didn't want to be friends with me, you didn't have to." He said indignantly

Kurt reached across the gear shift and gripped Blaine's knee. "Of course I want to be friends with you Blaine. It's just hard for me not to be at home, to be away from…" He trailed off helplessly. "It's just complicated, and it's a lot easier for me to show you so you don't have the chance not to believe me."

Blaine nodded, but confusion was written all over his face.

Kurt pulled into his drive way and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_. He thought desperately.

"Do you remember, after Karofsky, how I told you that I hadn't had a kiss that counted?" Blaine nodded. "And then I told you about Brittney, the girl I had my 'straight fling' with just before my dad married Carole because my dad was hanging out with Finn so much" Blaine nodded again unsure of his words. _Was this the girl Kurt sent his love to? _Blaine thought frantically. _Was that Kurt's secret? Did he question his sexuality because of his sexual harassment to the point of physically changing his sexual orientation? _

They were standing on the front porch now. Kurt paused before the door and turned to look at Blaine. "I didn't just make out with her…" He took another deep breath, "I slept with her… Just over a year ago, and she, well she got pregnant" Blaine just stared at him. "I have a four month old daughter Blaine."

Blaine's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He began to sputter on nonexistent words as Kurt opened the door of the house and entered the mud room. He hung his coat up and took Blaine's as he continued to open and close his mouth without forming any coherent thoughts.

"Is that you Kurt?" Came a call from the living room.

"Yeah it's me!" Kurt responded as he stepped though the kitchen and met Carole at the entry to the living room. She held a baby in her arms which Kurt took and hugged to his chest before holding her up and kissing her nose. "Daddy missed you little miss Elle" he exclaimed towards the child, before turning her around and holding her with her back to his chest, her wide blue eyes focused on the juxtaposition of the red and blue colors on Blaine's tie. "Blaine, I would like you to meet Elizabeth Carole Hummel, my daughter."

Blaine was speechless. No, he certainly would not have believed it if Kurt didn't have the perfect evidence, the spitting image of himself cradled in his arms in right in front of his face. Her soft blue eyes traveled up to his face and he took in the way her nose buttoned just like her fathers and her wispy hair was the exact shade of Kurt's, where it fell upon her pale forehead. He had no idea what to say. How do you react when your best friend has just told you he's a father? He said the only thing he could think of in the moment.

"She's beautiful" he breathed quietly, reaching a finger out to brush against her hair. It was snatched although in mid air by the baby's slender fingers. She brought it to her mouth but sucked more on her fist than Blaine's finger as both boys chuckled.

The boys were settled on the living room floor with drinks perched upon the coffee table above them. Elle was laying on her back swatting at the plush toys that dangled at her from the arch above her, occasionally playing a vibrant tune when she hit the right one. Carole was in the kitchen under the pretense of cooking and mopping the floor, but Kurt knew she was really giving them their privacy. He knew his father wouldn't be home until six and the dull thump of music could be heard from Finns room as he undoubtedly slaughtered Nazi Zombies with Puck while chatting through their headsets ensured that they wouldn't be bothered for a while.

"Well, I mean, you know why I did what I did with Brittney so I guess I should just pick up from there?" Kurt half stated half questioned.

"If you feel comfortable." Blaine reassured him, as he tickled the little girl's belly.

Kurt grinned at the ease Blaine had around the child. "Well no one knew Brittney was pregnant until she was about four months along, and then it was Santana who figured it out when they were making out one day and she noticed the baby bump. Brittney told her it was because she had won a pie eating contest against Lord Tubbington, her cat" he clarified, "the day before. Santana questioned her some more about what she'd been doing and finally got her to take a pregnancy test. So she was almost five months along before I even knew about it. I had just turned seventeen."

"Oh God Kurt." Blaine's voice was heavy with empathy as a tear leaked from Kurt's eye.

He wiped it away quickly before continuing. "When we got together with our parent's to talk about it she said that she had a dream, well I assume it was a dream, she actually just said that she knew than an angel told her that he gave her the baby to take care of in her belly until it was big enough to give to me. She told me that she knew the baby wasn't hers, that it was meant for me and she was just carrying it and keeping it safe." A few more tears escaped his stormy eyes and Blaine closed his hand over Kurt's. "You've met Brittney, she's in no way fit to raise a child. She was lucky her parents even let her stay at home. I think they only did because they knew they wouldn't be responsible for her after she was born. So Brittney wouldn't even consider adoption, she was adamant that the baby was mine, and it was supposed to be raised by me. I started working at dad's shop from three to seven, every night after school. I took one of those 'Educational Vacations' you know where you can be out for two weeks but then have to write a report on where you went and what you did, to get my Certified Nurse's Assistance license. I worked full time at the Lima Nursing Home and eight hour days on Saturday's and Sunday's at the shop throughout the summer until she was born; July 6th 6:42 in the morning 7 pounds 2 ounces 18 inches long. I took the rest of the summer off and just worked weekends at the nursing home to keep the job, until school started. Carole works part time transcribing medical records from home, so she keeps her during the day. Dad insisted that I take at least a little bit of a break. I would come home for an hour and then be at the shop by four instead of three and work until seven, come home for dinner. It kills me to be away from her for so long." Kurt cried, tears picking up speed as he reached out and stroked the infants round cheeks. "I work shifts at the nursing home on the weekends so I can keep the job available to work full time this summer again."

He picked up the little girl and cuddled her into his lap, rocking her slowly back and forth. It seemed to comfort him more than her. She reached out her arms toward him and he placed a small pink bunny in her hands. She quickly began to suck on its ear. Kurt laughed softly and touched a light finger to her nose.

"You know why I transferred to Dalton. Being an out gay single teenage parent doesn't exactly win you any popularity awards." He paused and reached over squeezing Blaine's hand. "I want to thank you again, so much for standing up for me. It meant, and still does mean the world to me." Holding Blaine's hand and Elle he didn't have the ability to stop the tear that rolled off his cheek and onto the foot of the bunny. "What you don't know is that I fought tooth and nail not to go to Dalton. I would be an hour farther away from Elle. I would lose that hour I had to spend with her, except the days that I didn't have Warblers, which once again my father insisted upon because he thinks it relieves stress. I don't know how long I can keep up being an honors student so I can leave during free period though. It was way too expensive. Dad and Carole gave up the money they had saved for their first year anniversary vacation to pay for it. But Dad told me that the best thing for me and for Elle was for me to be safe, and we both know why I wasn't safe at McKinley."

Blaine shuddered at the thought of the death threat.

"I don't want anyone at Dalton to know because, even though it's selfish, and I never stop thinking about her, sometimes it's just easier to slip into normal kid mode. Especially because I don't have everyone staring at me with either outrage or pity. But you are my best friend Blaine, and I knew this wasn't something I could keep from you. I just, I felt so normal around you, hanging out over coffee, going to see Rent. My dad only forced me to so I could relax. Believe me I did have fun, but I felt guilty laying even more responsibility on my family. I just hope you can understand and forgive me for hiding her from you."

Blaine couldn't take it any longer. He wrapped Kurt and consequently Elle up in a firm hug and held on. "Of course. You did what you thought was best for you and your daughter. I could never fault you for that. You're my best friend Kurt. That's not going to change."

Kurt smiled into Blaine's shoulder as Blaine felt Kurt's entire body relax. "Thank you" he whispered. "Thank you so much" he repeated unable to staunch the tears that flowed onto Blaine's shirt. Blaine released him and handed him tissue from the box on the coffee table, rubbing Kurt's back until he composed himself.

"Now," Blaine said when he was confident that Kurt was okay, "let me get my hands on this adorable little one" he said holding his hands out and wiggling his fingers.

Kurt looked at him in amusement, but Blaine saw a small bit of reluctance flash across his eyes too. He understood; this was Kurt's child he was handing over, even if just for a moment, even if he was right there. But, it passed quickly and soon the tiny little girl was in Blaine's arms. He bounced her up and down softly earning a giggle and a babble. He leaned his head in and rubbed his nose against hers as she gurgled away at him.

"Are you telling Blaine stories?" Kurt cooed. "Are you telling him all about your day with Grandma?"

Blaine mock gasped at the baby. "Oh yeah?" He let her grab his fingers. "Then what happened?" He asked as Elle chatted away.

Kurt's eyes widened at Blaine before he let out a laugh of relief. "How the heck are you so good with her? It took the rest of my friends ages until they were actually comfortable like this around her."

"My sister, Bailey, I've mentioned her before right?" Kurt nodded. "She has a six month old girl, Brylee. I babysit a lot on the weekends." He said with a shrug. "She likes to tell stories too" he said, his voice becoming high pitched as he directed it towards Elle. "Yes she does." He said hugging her to him before laying her back down on her play mat making sure her bunny was tucked into her hand securely. "You guys should get together some time," he said turning towards Kurt, "trade war stories. Or I could bring her over when I'm watching her some time." He suggested enthusiastically. "She's the sweetest little thing. I love her to death."

"Yeah maybe," Kurt replied, a smile creeping up on his face. He was startled by a loud pounding coming down the stairs signaling that Finn was becoming hungry enough to protest the lateness of dinner, which was actually early tonight, which is why his hand had been slapped away from the fridge earlier in the evening.

Kurt laughed loudly. "You can always tell the time in this house by Finn's stomach." Blaine made to glance at his watch. "Wait, don't tell me. It's Wednesday, Dad get's home at six and we sit down to eat like seconds after he gets in the door, so it must be around 5:35" Kurt guessed expertly.

"5:32!" Blaine exclaimed. "You're good!"

"Yes," Kurt said with an air of importance, "I pride myself on the ability to read Finn's stomach."

"My stomach's not a book dude." Finn said dumbly as he settled onto the floor with a tube of Pringles. "Hey Blaine" he said acknowledging him with a nod. "Hi there Ellie girl!" He cooed at Elle in a voice that sounded unnatural to Blaine coming from the tall quarterback. "How's my favorite niece? Did you miss your Uncle Finn all day?" He said as he continued to tut toward the baby, tickling her belly with the tips of his fingers. He grabbed her foot lightly and moved it back and forth gently. "Who's got your toes? Who's got your toes? Who's got those pigger toes?" He squeaked before leaning his head down and blowing a raspberry on her stomach.

"Come on Finn, you're gonna get her all riled up before I feed her and then I'm the one who ends up with formula and baby mush oatmeal all over me."

Finn chuckled. "Not my problem. I just wanna play with my itsie bitsie little Ellie."

Kurt stood and then reached for Elle. "Come on sweetheart, time for dinner before the rest of us sit down to eat." He said as he made his way to the kitchen.

Blaine made to get up but Finn stopped him halfway to the kitchen. "You can chill in here with me dude. There's a game on ESPN somewhere. The feeding is boring anyway, trust me I've done it enough." Blaine glanced from the kitchen to the couch where Finn was now shoving Pringles into his face. "Plus, I've got snacks in here. If you go in there they won't let you get a hold of anything that will 'spoil your appetite" he said complete with finger quotations. "I'm lucky I got out of there alive with these." He said waving the canister at Blaine. Blaine's stomach grumbled in protest as he watched Kurt remove formula from a heating device, and he joined Finn on the couch.

Elle was sitting in a high chair, Finn on the couch the empty can of Pringles rolling on the coffee table, while Carole and Kurt filtered around the kitchen. Blaine, who had been sat at the kitchen counter by Kurt, was insisting that there had to be something that he could to do help, but was denied so he moved to the kitchen table to play with the baby when Burt Hummel strode thought the door. He removed his coat and hat in the mud room, and placed his lunch box on the floor just inside the kitchen against the wall.

"There's my Ellie girl!" He proclaimed loudly, striding across the kitchen and lifting the girl out of her chair and into the air where he spun her around before lowering her, blowing a raspberry on her stomach and lifting her in the air again. "Hey baby girl. How was my Ellie girl today?" He asked before placing her back in her seat and kissing the top of her head softly. He moved around the room, kissing Carole on the cheek, giving Kurt a hug, and finally stopping once more at the kitchen table holding his hand out for Blaine to shake. "Good to see you again Blaine. I'm glad Kurt finally brought you around, officially, I mean" he said after a pause. "You've done my son and this family some real good. Thank you"

"You're welcome sir." Blaine replied sheepishly.

"It's Burt," Burt replied pointing a finger at him. "Hey Finn, come on. Chow time!" He yelled through the entrance to the living room towards Finn's back. Blaine didn't think he'd ever see someone get to the dinner table faster, as Carole set pork chops, green beans, and garlic and onion roasted potatoes on the table.

Blaine studied the family closely. It was one of the most unusual and amazing family dinners he had ever had. The warmth exuded was astounding to him, much different than what was experienced at his own house. Somehow he knew that he would always be accepted by the craziness that was the Hummel family and that he would always have a warm loving dinner to come to if he needed it.

That thought was confirmed when before leaving while Kurt was making sure Elle was okay with Finn in the living room, Carole enveloped him into a hug and Burt clapped him on the back. "I know I was supposed to be cooking" she whispered "but I heard everything." She hugged him tighter before letting him go and holding him at arm's length. Burt stood behind her with a hand on the small of her back.

"Kurt's lucky to have you as a friend, Blaine. You're always welcome here."

**A/N (again): **So, like I said very AU. This is the time line that I have been working on in my head, even if it has no parallel to the show.

October (Season 1) – Conception

November (Season 1) – Wedding

Blaine: January 3/ Kurt: March 12/ Finn: May 8 (Season 1) – Boys turn 17

July – Elle Born July 6th

November (Season 2) – Kurt transfer to Dalton (Elle 4 months)

Once again, please review and let me know if you think I should keep this as a one shot, or do multiple one shots (chronologically) within this universe. Thanks so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So I forgot to mention that I was bumping the boys up one year (which was sort of obvious from their ages but oh well) they are seniors in this story and Kurt has just transferred this year. Also I forgot to give credit to aalikane, whose first chapter of the story Ashamed began this thought bubble that became this story (I just noticed that a second chapter was posted when I went searching for the credit so I'll have to read that as soon as I post this). I also apologize for the misspelling of Brittney throughout the first chapter, it should be Brittany.

Once again thank you for reading, please review, I cannot improve without them!

Ch. 2

"Happy Birthday Blaine!" Came a chorus of voices from around the Hummel's dining room table where the family sat.

Bailey removed her hands from Blaine's eyes and a wide smile spread across his face as he took in the scene around him. The whole Hummel family was gathered behind the dining room table, which Blaine knew was only used for special occasions, as opposed to clustered in the kitchen where they would normally be for dinner. He could see Elle perched in Kurt's arms swiveling her head around trying to take in all of the unexpected noise. Brylee was cradled in Burt's arms but was at that wonderful stage of beginning to crawl and was desperately wiggling to be put down. Finn was staring down at the food on the table and Carole was rushing towards him to envelope him in a tight hug. She pulled away and steered him towards the table as everyone started to sit down.

"Now, I know you said that you didn't want a birthday cake, so I made the next best thing I could think of." She removed the covering off of a casserole pan. "Birthday lasagna!" she yelled with flair.

Blaine let out a loud laugh when he saw that the number 18 had been written on the lasagna with extra sauce upon the top layer of cheese.

"Kurt's always saying how much you love our lasagna, so I thought it would be a wonderful substitute for cake! The eighteen was Kurt and Finn's idea though." She added. "Now sit sit sit and eat before it gets cold. Who wants salad?" She asked loudly as the bunch began chatting holding the large serving bowl in the air.

!

Later Blaine sat on the couch with presents piled on the coffee table in front of him.

"We love you to death kid, but we weren't really sure what to get you." Burt explained as Blaine opened a card from them and a Lima Bean gift card slid out of it. Blaine chuckled while holding it up.

"It's perfect Burt. But you must know you're only fueling my coffee addiction."

"Well it's your birthday, indulge yourself." Burt grumbled.

"I got you something special just from me Blaine honey." Carole said sweetly pointing at a thin box on the table wrapped in red.

Burt glared at her.

"I'm sorry hun. I found this when I was out with Kurt just before Christmas and I wanted it to be from me because I've read the books too." She whispered loudly towards Burt as Blaine slipped the lid off of the box, revealing a scarlet and gold Gryffindor scarf.

Blaine's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy shop before he walked over to the chair Carole was sitting in and wrapped in a hug. "Thank you so much Carole! This is so cool!" He exclaimed, wrapping the scarf around his neck, before plopping back down on the couch still beaming.

"Here," Baily said, thrusting her present in his face from her place on the couch next to him. "Happy Birthday baby brother." She said as Blaine slowly peeled away the sliver wrapping from a leather bound binder filled with a wide variety of new sheet music, a pouch of his favorite guitar picks, and packs of strings for both is acoustic and electric guitars, and a string winder. "I didn't know what to get for you because you're so damn humble and never admit to wanting anything so I got you useful things. You're always complaining of losing your string winder and you're always in dire need of strings, so there. Jerry's sorry he couldn't be here." She apologized for her husband. "He had to be at the office tonight."

Blaine wrapped an arm around his sister. "Thanks sis." He said from his one arm hug. "And thank you Bry" he said to the little girl who was rapidly crawling toward Elle, who had mastered the art of rolling over, but not that of getting up on her hands and knees. Kurt plucked her up and placed her on his other side, so she moved towards Burt and Carole before she ran the younger girl over.

"Before you know it Ellie's going to be this much of a terror" Bailey joked towards Kurt.

"Yeah, but at least there won't be any human baby speed bumps for Elle to run over" he retorted as the whole family laughed.

Blaine unwrapped his gift from Finn, leaving the largest box for last.

"I know you have Modern Warfare one and two, and Black Ops, but you desperately needed World at War. Now you can play Nazi Zombies with me and Puck!" Finn explained his gift excitedly.

"Thanks man" Blaine said, bumping fist's with Finn from across the coffee table while Kurt rolled his eyes. He picked up the large box from Kurt as he found his way back to sitting on the couch.

"You really need something that is not in the Dalton color scheme." Kurt chided, looking pointedly at Blaine's navy plaid button down that had red running through it, as Blaine held up the light blue Henley shirt, a teal and brown plaid button down, brown cardigan, and dark wash jeans. "And those jeans are fitted, not skinny so you cannot complain about them. Plus they're the right length so you don't have to cuff them like you're a 'bad boy' out of some 50's movie."

Blaine laughed as he took in the clothes, before getting up and wrapping his arms around Kurt. "Thank you Kurt." He crawled over to Elle where she was struggling to get her knee's under her and was starting to fuss in frustration. He picked her up and carried her back to the couch, placing her in his lap. "Thank you too Little Miss Elle" he said using Kurt's nickname for her placing a kiss on her cheek. She continued to squirm.

Kurt hauled himself off of the floor. "It looks like it's bedtime for Little Miss Elle" Kurt said matter-of-factly, as he glanced at his watch before holding his arms out to take Elle from Blaine.

"I got her." Blaine said, standing. "Thank you everyone so much for my gifts." He said graciously.

"Well if you're putting her to bed, we're going to head out." Bailey said, taking Brylee from where she had wondered into Carole's arms. "Maybe this little one will fall asleep in the car on the way home if I'm lucky. Bye Blaine" she said pulling him into a hug and then ruffling his hair. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks Bailey" He said. "Bye bye, Brylee!" he said, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead, keeping the arm that held Elle away so Brylee couldn't snatch at her hair, her new favorite sport besides speed crawling.

The boys heard the sounds of thank you's, goodbyes, and scuffling as the family moved about the living room as they climbed the stairs to Kurt's room. Blaine sat down in the rocking chair as Kurt placed Elle's small night time bottle of formula into its heater.

"You don't have to do this Blaine." Kurt said, as he removed the bottle, handing it to Blaine.

"I know" he said simply as he rocked the girl back and forth while coaxing the bottle in between her lips. "I want to. I love this little girl." He said quietly before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Kurt smiled softly as he sat on the bed to take in the scene before him. Blaine continued to rock Elle, while softly humming what Kurt recognized at 'Part of Your World' from The Little Mermaid, Elle's favorite song of his to sing. In no time her eyes drifted closed as the bottle emptied. He slid it easily away from her and set it on the dresser, looking up at Kurt with a smile.

"She falls asleep so well now." He commented quietly, looking back down at the sleeping girl.

Kurt nodded, and then whispered, "She's sleeping through the night better too. She doesn't wake up until about four or five now usually."

Blaine grinned as he stood while Kurt walked towards him as he lowered Elle into her crib. "Good night angel" he whispered, kissing her forehead once more.

"Sleep tight, Daddy loves you princess" Kurt whispered, placing a kiss on her soft cheek before running a finger down her arm gently.

They set the baby monitor and by the time they were walking down the stairs to watch a movie, Carole and Burt were going up stairs for bed.

"Good night boys," they both chorused. "Happy Birthday again, Blaine" Carole added.

"Thank you both for the amazing dinner and presents" Blaine expressed.

"Don't you think anything of it. It was our pleasure. Oh," Carole paused and turned around on the stairs. "There's linens in the closet in the hall for the air mattress. Sorry I didn't get a chance to make it up. And, Finn went over to Rachel's because she's mad at him again, so he'll probably be back pretty late. Night Kurt, Night Blaine." She said blowing a kiss in their direction.

"Night mom"

"Night Carole" The boys said in unison.

"So" Kurt said as he steered Blaine towards the entertainment center. "You pick a movie, don't protest it's your birthday I insist that you pick, and I'll make the popcorn."

Kurt returned from the kitchen with a large bowl of butter free popcorn, two glasses of milk and two pieces of cake. "I know you said you didn't want one, but I made you a secret cake" Kurt whispered, even though he didn't need to.

Blaine beamed at him as he set his selection of DVD's on the coffee table. "Thank you, Kurt! You're amazing, really!"

"Well I don't pretend to be anything that I'm not." Kurt replied glancing at Blaine's stack of movies. "Disney movie marathon?" He asked eyeing The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, and Mulan.

Blaine blushed. "Well it's Disney, they're short movies! We'll probably fall asleep half way through Pocahontas anyway." He said defensively, even though it was only 9:00.

"Blaine, it's your birthday. We can watch as many Disney princess movies as you want." Kurt insisted, settling himself onto the couch.

Blaine sat down next to him. "Technically Mulan isn't a princess" he retorted.

!

The end of The Little Mermaid found the boys with Blaine curled into Kurt's side with his legs tucked under him and leaning on Kurt, and his head on his shoulder, their linked hands resting on Blaine's knees. Kurt regretfully untangled himself as he replaced The Little Mermaid with Pocahontas. Throughout the movie, Blaine continued to slump farther down Kurt's body, from his shoulder to his chest, with his head finally coming to rest in Kurt's lap their hand entangled on top of Blaine's stomach.

"So, what did your parents get you for your big 18th birthday" " Kurt tried to ask nonchalantly. He knew the topic of Blaine's parents, particularly his father, was not one that the older boy liked to broach.

"A jet ski."

Kurt's eyes widened and his hand paused in its playing with Blaine's hair as he looked down at him. "A jet ski? They got you a jet ski?"

"Yupp, the title and keys for it was in a card along with my inheritance papers from my grandfather, which is legally mine now that I'm 18, remind me to go to the bank tomorrow and take their names off of the account. Then they left for their winter vacation. They do the Bahamas with a bunch of their friends. There's a huge lake about an hour from here where we used to camp when we were all little, it's in the campgrounds watercraft storage facility."

"Blaine, that's amazing!"

He shrugged. "Yeah I guess. I mean they only do it to make up for never seeing me. Well mom does at least. I don't know if Dad would even bother to get me presents if it wasn't for her."

"I'm sorry Blaine" Kurt said, not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay," Blaine replied, "I mean it's not like he hates me, we just ignore each other. Completely. He did that to my brother too before…"

Kurt vaguely knew of Blaine's older brother's existence. All he knew was that Blake was in-between Bailey and Blaine and would have be 21 had he not been killed in action in Iraq two years ago at the age of 19. He heard Blaine sigh and knew that he was fighting the internal battle of whether to tell Kurt what had happened.

"I was fourteen when I came out to my parents. My mom was, well she was upset but she still loves me. My dad just sort of shut down, that next summer was his final attempt when he made me build that car with him. From that moment on Blake was sort of the opposite of me. I tried so hard to be the perfect son, doing everything that was expected of me and the Anderson name. I guess I was trying to counteract the huge disappoint I had brought on by coming out. Blake kind of took it upon himself to rebel for me when I found myself unable to. We were pretty much opposites, even though we got along really well. He used to beat kids up in school for me, when those guys beat me and Daniel up after the Sadie Hawkins dance he went after them, and almost got kicked out of school. He was against everything the Anderson name stood for, the money, the prestige, the country club attitude, all of it. So instead of fulfilling the requirements to receive his trust fund like a respectable Anderson man he joined the Air Force right out of high school. He told me, that he needed to get as far away from them as possible, and that he was only leaving because he knew that I was safe at Dalton. Bailey and I drove down for his graduation from boot camp and then to say goodbye when he shipped out and that was the last I saw him. The supply truck he was riding in drove over an IED and he was killed instantly two months into his tour."

Blaine's hand wrapped around his bracelet and he twisted it around his wrist. Kurt had picked up on it as a nervous habit. The rope bracelet was the only thing that disrupted Blaine's immaculate private school boy appearance during school hours. When Kurt had asked about it before Blaine had just shook his head. Now he untied it and held it up Kurt could see it better.

"This was in the last letter he sent home to me. He called it a survival bracelet. It's fifteen feet of paracord, and can be undone here so that it's easily available in a survival situation and if you're captured by the enemy they just think it's a bracelet. He and his friends used to make them when they got bored." He tied it to his wrist again making sure it was on securely. "That's why I never take it off." He explained. "Bailey has one too, but she has it in a box of mementos so she doesn't lose it. I think it's just too painful for her to wear, but I figure that if he wanted me to wear it I'm going to wear it and be reminded of him every day."

"Oh my gosh, Blaine." Kurt said, running his fingers over the bracelet lightly. "I'm so sorry. You must miss him so much."

"It's okay. It happened almost two years ago now. And I do miss him, but it's getting better."

Kurt could tell from Blaine's tone of voice that the conversation was over, and he was thankful that Blaine had shared as much has he did.

"So" He said drawing out the word searching for a new topic. "What exactly does an Anderson man have to do to have gained his trust fund?"

"Well to have complete control over it, like so that I can take my parents name off of the people who is allowed to access or control it, I have to turn 18, graduate high school, and get accepted to college. It's been that way for as long as I can remember."

"So two down one to go right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Do you have any idea where you're going to go to school yet?"

"Probably Ohio State, I got early acceptance there and University of Michigan. It has a good biology with pre-med intent program, and I don't think I'm ready to be that far from home yet. I mean I can always go farther to get my doctorate and do my residency, or transfer if I really want to."

Kurt nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Blaine recognized something off in Kurt's voice. "What's wrong Kurt?"

"Oh nothing."

Blaine raised a triangular eyebrow at him.

Kurt sighed. "It's just that before Elle, I had wanted to go to New York for school. Isn't it funny how life changes. I had these big dreams of going to New York and then I didn't even want to go back to school this year. I just wanted to drop out and take care of Elle, but Dad wouldn't let me."

"I'm sorry Kurt" Blaine said softly, almost regretting that he had pushed the boy into speaking his feelings.

"It's okay" Kurt said, his voice returning to its chipper tone. "I have new dreams now, and that's to provide Elle with the best possible life. She makes me happier than I could ever imagine."

"You truly are a wonderful person Kurt." Blaine said in awe as he moved from his lying position to snuggle into Kurt's side again, wrapping his arms around him and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and story alerts. I have a really fun time writing this story and I'm glad that people like to read it! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I don't know if I'll always update this quickly but at the moment I just can't stop myself from writing this pair! As always please review because it only helps to fuel the story.

Ch 3

The boys fell into a steady routine of hanging out as much as possible once school started back up after winter break, almost always at Kurt's house, or at the garage while he worked after school. Blaine began to join the family for Friday night dinners, sleeping over so he could watch Elle on Saturday while Kurt worked, giving everyone else a day off. Blaine quickly found himself conflicted in their relationship as he felt less like sleeping on the air mattress on Kurt's floor and more like crawling into bed with Kurt and snuggling with him every time he slept over. Whatever they did always seemed to be filled with small touches and sidelong glances. Would Kurt want to date him? Could he handle having a baby and a boyfriend? Weren't they practically boyfriends already?

Blaine's head swam and spun trying to wrap his mind around the situation. Kurt had finally broke down and with Blaine's help had told Blaine's best friends Wes and David about Elle. They were, although, no help in the matter because they seemed to disregard the fact that Kurt was a father completely both saying "Well it's obvious you both want each other, so just jump him!"

It was far more complicated than that, and he had no one to talk to. His sister had been useless, only helping to confuse him even more.

"I love him Blaine, I really do. He's a wonderful father and a great guy but you _just_ turned 18. Do you really want to get that involved with a man with a kid? Maybe you should just be a kid yourself?" She had said over the phone with Brylee crying in the background and Jerry yelling for her to get her because he was working on an important case, and was expecting a conference call. "Do you really want to get sucked into all of this already?"

Blaine had no idea what to do, and he really had no idea how he had come to this decision that found him standing at the doorstep to the Hummel household at 6:05 on a Monday evening. Burt opened the door, obviously just having gotten home from work himself, leaving Kurt to work after hours at the shop at seven.

"Hey, Blaine! You know Kurt's not here right? He's working until seven."

Blaine took a deep breath and tried to find resolve in his decision. "I know sir."

"It's Burt son."

"Sorry Burt, I know he's not home, it was actually you that I was hoping to talk to before Kurt gets home."

Worry settled into Burt's features. "Is everything okay?" He asked hurriedly.

"Yes, sorry, everything's fine. I just I don't know who else to talk to about this and you're just kind of the person I landed on."

"Sure come on kid" he said as he let the boy into the kitchen from the mud room. "Do you want to…" he trailed off gesturing towards the living room. "Or well, I think Carole's ordering pizza. She's taking a nap while Finn watches Ellie so we can talk in here I guess." He said pulling out a chair at the kitchen table for Blaine to sit on, before settling himself across the table. "What's on your mind kid?"

"It's Kurt." He blurted out. "And, I'm sorry if this gets awkward for you but I have no one else to turn to."

Burt took a deep breath and readied himself for this conversation. He couldn't pretend not to notice the way the boys acted around each other. "Go ahead" he said gently prodding Blaine into talking.

"It's just I like him, a lot. Like more than a friend, but I don't really know how to approach the situation with him besides" he blushed "cuddling or holding hands because I don't know if having a boyfriend would be something that Kurt would want right now with everything going on." Blaine burst out, and once he started he couldn't stop, and he began rambling all of his concerns at Burt in on long string.

"And I love Elle to death, I really do but I'm only eighteen. Am I ready to have a boyfriend with a baby? My sister told me that I was just a kid myself and that maybe I should just be a kid, but every time I think of Kurt and even Elle all I can think of is how much I want to be with him, and how much I love being around and taking care of her, and those aren't kid feelings in the first place so am I even still a kid? And I mean, I know he likes me back in some way because he reciprocates everything that I do, but does he actually want a full on stable relationship? And what about my dad? He would never approve of this." Blaine paused for a breath and realized that he had been rambling; he looked up at Burt with worried eyes wondering if he had gone too far with talking about the man's son. The last thing he wanted to do was offend anyone.

Burt recognized the panic in the boy's eyes. "Calm down Blaine. Stop worrying. I'm just glad you came to me to talk instead of letting this all build up even farther. Now. I understand what your sister is trying to say. I don't know how I would feel as a father if Kurt were in your position. That being said, you have always proven yourself to be a well rounded, respectable, mature boy, and now man, with a good head on his shoulders. You are eighteen, so if you want what would seem to be, because of the involvement of Elle, an adult relationship with my son that's something you have to decide on your own, don't let your father influence your decision. Because for the first time in my life I'm disregarding parental opinion. You're a great kid Blaine, and you've obviously become this way without his help. So why don't you stop trying to please him, and start trying to please yourself, because you're the one that matters, not him. But I do think that you really have to talk to Kurt about all of this instead of trying to figure out his feelings on your own. He needs to be a part of this decision too."

Blaine placed his forehead on the table for a moment before looking up at Burt again. "Do you, as his father, think he's ready for a relationship right now?"

"If the way he looks at you, and the smile that comes across his face when he mentions you are any indication I think he might be."

"Do you, I want to ask you sir, just because of this crazy situation. I'd like to ask your permission to date your son. If he'll have me that is."

"You can have my permission if you promise me one thing. You know what the stakes are here and what's involved and at risk. Now no father wants his son to get jerked around, but there is more than just Kurt to consider here, there's Elle. I want her life to be a stable as possible, and so does Kurt. This cannot be a regular teenage high school romance, and I think you know that, and I think that's what your sister is struggling with. If you date my son, it has to be a mutual mature and understanding relationship, none of this on again off again shit that Finn pulls with Quinn and Rachel. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir" Blaine said nodding. "I know this isn't a normal teenage dating situation, that's why I knew I had to talk to someone. Thank you for listening. I know it couldn't be easy."

"It's quite alright son. I trust you. And Blaine?"

"Yes?"

"It's Burt."

"Sorry Burt, thank you."

Burt just nodded. "Now, are you staying for dinner? I'm sure you and Finn could split a meat lovers pizza, you could just run on up and play video games with him and help him watch Elle until Kurt gets home."

"I'm not sure I want him to know that I talked to you just yet. This is all still a lot to think about."

"He doesn't have to know a thing kid. All I know is that you came over to kill some zombies with Finn and Puck on the Xbox, even though Puck isn't here which I still don't get" he mumbled the last part. "And play with my darling granddaughter. In fact why don't you bring her down here so she can have some Grandpa Burt time?"

Blaine nodded and smiled. "Thanks Burt."

!

Two days later, on Wednesday the boys were cuddled on the sofa watching a Project Runway marathon while Elle napped, Burt was still at work, Finn was at Rachel's, and Carole was working on her laptop in the kitchen.

"Leanne was my favorite right from the beginning of this season" Blaine commented, popping an apple slice into his mouth. "I cannot believe she made that outfit out of car parts."

"Oh my God, I know!" Kurt exclaimed, clasping Blaine's hand in his own and squeezing. He left them together, letting them fall onto his lap.

"Kurt?" Blaine said, shifting himself to turn towards Kurt, not letting go of his hand. Kurt turned to look at him as well, cocking his head slightly in response. "What does this mean?" He asked, looking down at their intertwined hands and giving a light squeeze.

Kurt's breath hitched a little and he paused for a moment before giving his response. "What does it mean to you?"

Blaine chuckled quietly. "I've been thinking about that for a while now, and I finally have it figured out, so I was just kind of wondering if you wanted to talk about it in case you need to sort it all out yet."

"No…" Kurt said trailing off. "I think I have it worked out. I've been wondering how to approach this since your birthday when you kissed my cheek. It got harder and harder to figure out but this weekend I just sat down and talked it all out to Elle. She didn't do anything but babble back at me but it was just good to say it out loud and get it all off of my chest you know. I mean it's still something we need to talk about, I can't decide what to do with this" he held up their hands "on my own, but I know where I stand."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. The real reason I was here on Monday when you got home was because I was talking to you dad about this. I'm sorry if that's weird, I just didn't know what else to do."

Kurt let out a nervous laugh. "I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to do that Blaine, and that's what makes most of this so easy. It's like you're already part of the family."

"So." Blaine said shortly, wanting got get back to the topic they desperately needed to talk about. "What conclusions did you come to, regarding this" he gestured to their hands again, which seemed to be the only way to indicate the relationship they were currently in, as words couldn't do it justice.

"I, well I know it might not be the smartest decision what with me having a baby, a job, and going to school, and you graduating and going to school while I'll be working a full time job here in Lima, I cannot stop myself from wanting to be with you. And I do. I want to be with you Blaine, if you want to be with me that is, if you don't I still really want to be friends. I mean I understand that it might be a bit of a struggle for you to be with me, what with Elle and all-"

"Stop, Kurt, just stop before you go any further. It would be no struggle at all. I love Elle. I know that we're young but the last thing I want to do is mess around with you and Elizabeth. I want to be with you Kurt and be there for Elle even, for like a long time. It doesn't matter that you have a daughter or that I'm going to school, I don't want to be without you, even if I can't physically be with you. I want to be your boyfriend as long as you still want to be mine.

"Of course I do, Blaine. It would be an honor to be your boyfriend."

Blaine thought his smile couldn't get any wider, but suddenly it disappeared from his face as his lips were covered for the first time by Kurt's. He gasped slightly in shock but soon his hand that wasn't latched to Kurt's wrapped around the younger boys waist and pulled him closer as their lips moved together. He was just about to run his tongue across Kurt's bottom lip when a cry emitted from the baby monitor signaling the waking of Elle.

Both boys sat back and laughed.

"And that, will probably sum up the rest of our relationship" Kurt said through his chortles.

"That's fine with me" Blaine said, leaning into to press a chaste kiss to Kurt's lips before bounding up the stairs after the crying baby, Kurt on his heels.

!

Elle had just been fed and both boys were lying on Kurt's floor trying to get some homework done while Elle tried in vain to make herself get up onto her knees, until she gave up and just pulled herself around the room toward anything to put in her mouth with just her hands, he legs trailing behind her, when they heard the distinct heavy footsteps of Finn traveling up the stairs with a high pitched voice following behind him.

"I still don't understand why I wasn't invited Finn. I am your girlfriend. Why couldn't I come to a silly birthday party or Friday night dinners?"

"It wasn't a silly party Rach, it was just dinner for Blaine's birthday" Finn said, his tone exasperated as if he'd tried explaining this multiple times before, "and it was weeks ago, can you just drop it. You're here for dinner now." They had gone into Finn's room but the pair could still hear them and Kurt looked at Blaine rolling his eyes.

"Well if I'm here for dinner now, why couldn't I be here for dinner then, if it was just some dinner and not a special party?"

"I don't know Rachel, it was a family thing."

There was a long pause in which Kurt assumed Rachel had created for dramatic effect before stating in an offended tone "And I'm not family? I'm your girlfriend Finn; Blaine isn't even Kurt's boyfriend."

"I know you are, and I know he isn't but it's just different. He's Kurt's best friend, he's here all the time. He even watches Elle without Kurt around for him. It's like he's a part of the family. I mean I feel like he's my brother or something."

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with amused faces before leaning in and kissing quickly to prove Finn wrong, even if just for themselves. Kurt knew what was going on, and he knew that soon Blaine would figure it out too. Finn was trying to explain himself without revealing Blaine's family situation.

"I still don't understand why I wasn't invited. I'm Kurt's friend too. I love Elle, we all do. We've all met Blaine and like him. Does your mom not like me, does Blaine not like me?"

"No Rachel, it's nothing like that. It's just difficult. It was a family thing and you're just going to have to leave it at that." Finn finally said, raising his tone slightly at the end.

Luckily he was saved from Rachel's inevitable retort by Carole's voice calling up the stairs. "Boy's, you're father's home. Dinner!"

They heard Finn's door open and close again as Kurt gathered Elle in his arms and Blaine picked up the pink bunny that she had been wiggling towards. He looked at Kurt and smiled guiltily "I'm sorry I'm causing trouble between Finn and Rachel." He looked down at his shoes, and began twisting his bracelet. "He can just tell her that my dad's an asshole if that'll fix anything."

Kurt placed a hand on Blaine's forearm. "If it's not this it'll be another thing, and it seems like Finn's doing a good job deflecting this one, so it's probably easier to just leave it like this instead of solving it and getting him into an argument that he can't win" Kurt said laughing. "It's always something with Rachel." He kissed Blaine's forehead. "Seriously don't worry about it."

Blaine nodded. "So? Are you ready to let you dad know that we're official. I'm sure he's been sitting on the edge of his seat since Monday night" Blaine joked.

Kurt adjusted Elle on his hip and held his hand out for Blaine to grasp.

"More than anything in the world."

Burt was standing in the living room awaiting the boys so he could snatch up his granddaughter for a minute before dinner, when the boys clamored down the stairs awkwardly openly trying to hold hands and juggle the baby during their descent.

"So, you finally have it all figured out?" He asked taking Elle from Kurt's arms, and eyeing the two boys, as they all made their way into the kitchen.

"Yes sir" Blaine said sheepishly.

"Blaine, seriously, just because you're dating my son does not mean that you have to call me sir. The dynamic of our relationship has not changed. Are you still my son's best friend?"

Blaine nodded enthusiastically. "I'll always be his best friend."

"Good, then it's Burt, and it will always be Burt no matter what happens between you and Kurt."

"Sorry Burt." Blaine said with a smile.

They all went to pull out seats from the kitchen table when they noticed that it was the dining room table that was set up with plates and food.

"Dining room?" Burt asked, confused as he placed Elle in her high chair.

"Well, its Rachel's first family dinner with all of us so I thought we'd make it a special occasion and eat in the dining room." Carole said. "Plus, we all fit a little better in here with the high chair" she said as Blaine dropped a handful of puffy strawberry banana stars on the tray to help keep Elle content with sitting through dinner.

"Thanks babe" Kurt said from the fridge, moving through the kitchen into the dining room, placing a sippy cup of water on Elle's tray. "She's not the greatest at picking it up yet, but she likes to swat it around and knock it over."

"Wait, are you two like together now? Officially?" Finn asked as Kurt took his seat between Elle and Blaine.

Blaine smiled widely at Kurt, and took his hand. "We most certainly are."

"But dude, he has a baby, you have a baby Kurt."

"You shut your mouth right now Finn Hudson before any more stupid falls out of it" Carole chided, as she stood up and almost ran toward Blaine. "Just let it go Kurt this is a happy time," She said addressing his mouth that had opened to retort "Welcome to the family" she squealed wrapping him in a tight hug and rocking back and forth. "I'm so happy for both of you," she said extending her reach to Kurt as well. "You both deserve it after what you've been through." She took each of their faces in her hands and kissed their foreheads, as Rachel looked on from across the table with jealousy burning in her eyes.

The dinner went amicably, the conversation slightly strained because Kurt and Blaine were trying incredibly hard to involve Rachel in conversation so that she would feel like she belonged to the tight knit group. Burt and Finn looked awkwardly at the food, vegetarian lasagna, as Rachel gushed her thanks toward Carole for respecting her vegan food options. It was interrupted only once by Elle who wouldn't stop fussing, so Blaine went to change her, insisting that Kurt stay with his family throughout dinner. It did the trick, because both returned happy and Elle continued to try to shove the dissolvable stars into her mouth using her entire fist.

Dinner ended after a helping of apple pie for everyone and an offer from Rachel to help clean up. "Oh no honey" Carole shot her down, "you're a guest here. That's not necessary, thank you though."

"Actually Finn, why don't you and Rachel take Elle please? I want to talk to the boys with Carole for a minute.

"You're in trouble now dude" Finn smirked as he pulled Elle from her high chair. "Come on Ellie girl, let's get away from your lame daddy and have some fun with Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel.

"Yes, come here Elizabeth" Rachel insisted, prying her from Finn's arms, as Kurt tried to hide his wince.

"Poor girl isn't going to know what her name is" Kurt muttered as the couple left. "Blaine, Carole and I call her Elle, you and Finn have nicknamed her Ellie, and Rachel insists on calling her Elizabeth."

"She'll figure it out son" he said clapping him on the shoulder. "Now what Carole said at dinner about boy you boys deserving this after what you've been through got me to thinking."

Carole dropped the last load of dishes off by the sink and sat back down at the table next to her husband. "I really don't know where he's going with this guys" she whispered.

"It's okay, I do" he said patting her hand. "Now, Blaine, I know that when we talked a lot of talk went down about what this would mean for Kurt and Elle and about how this had to be a stable relationship because of their situation." Blaine nodded to show that he still understood. "What I want to talk about now is Kurt and where you stand with Blaine. We all know that his family situation isn't the best, and I truly hope that's he has found some sense of home and family with us. You need to be sensitive towards him and his feelings about his family. I know this isn't going to be an easy relationship for you boys, but you have to remember that it's give and take. I care about both of you, so please, take care of each other because you both matter. Blaine you take care of my boy, and Kurt you take care of Blaine."

"I will Dad, I promise" he said reaching for Blaine's hand and squeezing it.

"You can count on me Burt" Blaine said, unable to stop the tears that were leaking from his eyes at this wonderful man and how much he had come to be a father figure in his life. He was in awe and incredibly gracious of how much this man cared about him.

"Come here kid." Burt said, meeting Blaine who had stood and grabbed him into a fierce hug. "You too Kurt" he said opening one arm, and wrapping it around Kurt.

"Thank you Burt" he whispered. "Thank you Carole" he said louder. "Get in here!" he exclaimed, removing one of his arms from around Burt and motioning for Carole to join the hug.

"I love all of you boys. I really do" she whispered into the group trying to keep herself from crying.

"We love you too mom" Kurt replied, leaning his head through the crowd to kiss her cheek.

"I love you Kurt" Blaine said quietly.

Kurt smiled. "I love you too Blaine."

And somehow, it felt so right to have their first declarations of love to be in front of and surrounded by family and their love.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So this chapter was kind of hard to write but it was still a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoy it! Please send any comments or criticisms in reviews cause I love 'em, as much as I love Kurt and Blaine.

Ch 4

Blaine was at the Hudson household furiously slamming his thumb into the joy stick of his controller trying to kill as many zombies as possible with an intense vengeance.

"Dude, are you okay?" Puck asked from where he sat on Finns bed fiddling with a guitar.

"I'm fine Puck, I'm just a little stressed is all."

"What, why man?" Finn asked, as he purchased a new weapon. "Your finals are over, you aced every single one of them and you're graduating tonight, valedictorian. You're free."

"Yeah a little too free" he mumbled to himself.

"What was that bro?"

"Nothing, it's just complicated." He dropped the controller. "Do you think you or your mom could watch Elle when she wakes up? I'm gonna head over to the shop, and talk to Kurt."

"Yeah, man we got her."

"Thanks guys" Blaine mumbled.

He stopped by Kurt's room to make sure the little girl was still sleeping before he kissed her forehead gently, hoping not to wake her, but not being able to resist.

"Love you angel" he whispered.

The drive to the garage was filled with blasting music as he tried to contain the rage that he held for his parents that had grown from the phone call he had received earlier that morning, just after graduation rehearsal while he was getting coffee with Wes and David. Kurt had chosen to spend the hours between rehearsal and graduation at the shop.

"_Hello."_

"_Blaine darling, it's your mother."_

"_Hi mom, what's up?"_

"_I just wanted to call and let you know that your father won't be able to make it to your graduation tonight. He just got a call and he has to go out of town for business. He sends you his love though."_

_Blaine knew that last part was a lie, that his mother had inserted it to try to make him feel better. _

"_Yeah, sure Mom whatever." Blaine replied, not trying to hide the hurt in his voice. "It's not like I need him there." He said truthfully_.

"_And honey, I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to go to dinner with you and your sister afterwards either. I'm leaving right after the ceremony to catch a plane to meet your father for a cocktail function he has to be at for work."_

_Blaine bit back his emotions, they wouldn't help him here and smoothly asked, "Why can't you just go tomorrow mom? Or catch a red eye tonight?"_

"_You know how these functions are Blaine. A married man can't just not go without his wife; you know how it would look and what people would say. I'm so sorry honey. I hope you understand."_

"_Yeah, mom," his voice grew gravely quiet. "I understand."_

"_But I will be there to see you get your diploma and hear your speech, and that's really the most important thing isn't it." _

"_Yeah Mom. What about my trust fund? You gave Bailey her papers at dinner after her graduation."_

"_I'll leave them with Dean Saunders when I say hello and give my regards to his wife before the ceremony. He'll get them to you after the ceremony I'm sure, just be sure to find him. I'd leave them with your sister but I don't want her to lose them while keeping track of Brylee."_

"_Okay Mom, I will." _

"_I love you sweetheart. I can't wait to hear your speech tonight, Valedictorian."_

"_Love you too, Mom. Bye." _

Blaine's eyes burned with unshed tears, just thinking about the conversation, as he pulled into the garage's parking lot.

"Is something wrong with Elle?" Kurt cried frantically as Blaine burst through the door to the office with tears running down his face.

"No, no, oh gosh I'm sorry! She's fine, she was asleep with I left and Carole had gotten back from the store so her and Finn are going to watch her. I'm sorry I worried you!"

"Blaine, honey, calm down." He said wrapping his hands around Blaine's upper arms. "As long as she's okay, it's fine. What's wrong?"

"My parents." He sniffed. "My dad's not coming to my graduation, and my mom's leaving right after I get my diploma, instead of going to dinner with me and Bailey, because she has to meet dad for some stupid after dinner party!" he spat. "And all she freakin' said was 'you understand right' of course I understand you bitch, you're choosing his career over me!" He broke down completely and slumped into Kurt's arms, burying his face into Kurt's neck and shoulder.

"Oh my God Blaine, I'm so sorry." He said holding Blaine gently and rubbing up and down his back. He had no idea what to say to the sobbing boy. "Come on honey, let's sit down" he said guiding Blaine towards the bench along the wall of the office. "Shhh honey, it's okay." He said smoothing Blaine's hair, in an attempt to comfort him.

"Why doesn't it matter Kurt? Why doesn't all of this matter?" He gestured to himself where he was still clad in his Dalton uniform from rehearsal. "I did all of this for them. I tried so hard to be the perfect son. I get good grades; I'm the god damn valedictorian at one of the most prestigious private schools in Ohio. I got early acceptance to two schools, I'm a pre-med major. I respect all of their rules, I'm never out past curfew, I've never gotten in trouble for anything at school, I'm the perfect gentlemen at all of the social events they force me to go to. I don't think I've ever cursed in front of them. I don't even say anything when they can't come to my graduation. I'm freakin Blaine Anderson for them, when all I want to do is be Blaine Warbler…" he trailed off. "My god, I try that hard to be perfect that I have a separate persona for who I really want to be, for who I am around you and your family. I'm more like me around your family than I am around mine. But just because I'm gay I don't matter."

Kurt pulled Blaine's head out of the crook of his neck and made sure he was looking at him. "You listen to me Blaine Warbler, because you matter to us Blaine, and you matter to your family too, they just don't know how to show it. But we love you Blaine, we love Blaine Warbler, and Blaine Anderson because they make you who you are and that's just Blaine. You're a great person, the best, and if they can't see that you matter than they don't."

Blaine sniffed as a small smile crept onto his features. "You sound like your dad, you know that right?"

"He's a smart man" Kurt said.

Blaine wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. "You know if Blake were here I probably wouldn't be so damn neurotic. He was always able to help me let go just a little bit, even if it was just doing something stupid and fun together. Bailey's not like that. She's the perfect daughter. Good grades, went to college for Literature and then never actually used her degree because she married a lawyer and had a baby. I mean I know she loves me for who I am, but she doesn't always understand me like Blake did."

"I'm sorry babe" Kurt said, reaching out to rub Blaine's back again.

"It's just hard you know, doing everything without him. I mean I know what he would tell me to do but that's never enough you know. I always used to wait for him to push me to do something. Thinking of him was what made me finally decide to talk to you about being together. Of course my father wouldn't approve so Blake obviously would. He would just want me to be happy. Dating you has quite possibly been the craziest rebellious thing I've ever done in my entire life." He chuckled. "Isn't that ironic? Considering Finn calls us the most boring couple of the century."

"That's cause we have a baby, I mean I have a baby." He corrected himself. "A baby tends to put a damper on the over aspect of a high school relationship of dinner and a movie."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

"And I wouldn't want you any other way Blaine Warbler Anderson. I love you, Elle loves you, my parents love you, and so do yours even if they don't know how to express it."

Blaine let his forehead fall to rest against Kurt's. "I love you too."

Kurt grasped his hand. "Then that's all that matters," he gave it a squeeze and held their linked hands in front of their faces "us."

!

Blaine moved his bracelet around his wrist nervously. "First of all, I would like to say welcome to the family and friends here this evening, and that have showed up here countless evenings in the past for all of our events, and I would like to thank all of you for celebrating this commencement with us. I've spent three and a half wonderful years roaming this halls and it has quite literally become my home. And the boys standing here with me this evening have become my family" Blaine said turning and looking at the boys sitting on the stage behind him. "Family's a funny thing, and here you seem to find it everywhere," he found his mother in the crowd and set his eyes on her, "Even when it's hard to find elsewhere. You see it in the Warblers, the soccer team, debate club, even in the newest transfer kid, but we're all interconnected. For many of us Dalton is a safe haven of sorts, and that sanctuary will not inhibit us as we now face the world outside these walls but will provide us with fond memories as we face what is necessary to live our lives to the fullest. A very wise man once told me that I mattered" Blaine's eyes locked with Burt's, who was holding Elle. She was sitting still and Blaine could tell that she was listening to his voice intently because while she recognized the voice she had never heard I it like this before, through a microphone and she was intrigued. He let his eyes fall on her alone and a wide smile stretched across his face. "And what I want to say to all of my brothers today is that you matter. People say that your years of high school won't matter when you get in the real world. Your past matters because the memories that we've made here are real, and they will carry you when you don't think that you matter at all. Your present matters, this incredible celebration of what we have all accomplished together throughout the years. Your future matters; your hopes, dreams, aspirations they matter. Do whatever you have to to fulfill them. And never lose sight of what matters, you and your happiness, and if you ever need reminding just think back to the years you spent here and remember that you matter to me and to everyone else on this stage. Thank you Class of 2010, for being my Dalton brothers." The entire auditorium erupted in cheers as Blaine made his way back to his seat, but the only people he was looking at were the Hummel's.

As Blaine's name was called he heard Burt clapping louder than anyone else, as he glanced over he saw Elle in Carole's lap with Carole moving the girls hands together in a clapping motion. They did the same as Kurt's name was called. The Warblers sang one final song together and then caps were thrown up in the air, tassels were removed and placed in pockets, robes were handed in and the boys were walking out from back stage when Blaine opened his diploma case. Inside was his diploma, and his trust fund papers. It was only then that he remembered his mother wouldn't be at the other end of the hallway to congratulate him. He didn't have too long to think about it although, because he was attacked in a great bear hug by Carole, his hand slipped from Kurt's as Burt wrapped his arms around both of them at once, enveloping Carole as well. Finn who was standing off holding Elle shrugged his shoulders in a "what the heck" gesture and wrapped his arm around Kurt, brining himself and Elle into the hug.

"What is it with this family and group hugs?" Blaine joked.

"I don't know kid, you tell us." Burt said, clearly indicating that Blaine was one of the family, as they broke away.

"Blainers!" Bailey yelled as she ran toward him. Jerry followed slowly behind carrying Brylee. "Congratulations baby brother!" She hugged him tightly. "So I know mommy and daddy can't come but how about Randolf's for dinner?" she asked linking her arm through his.

"Actually Bailey" he said thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to go home with the Hummels to Kurt and Finn's graduation party, if that's alright with you." He said toward Burt.

"You know you're always welcome kid."

"I never really wanted to miss it in the first place and now that I don't have to go to dinner I don't think I want to."

"You're welcome to join us." Kurt said brightly, slinging his arm around Blaine's waist.

"I think we'll pass" Jerry interjected just as Bailey was about to open her mouth. "We both have early day's tomorrow dear" he said to his wife. "Congratulations Blaine" he said extending his hand for Blaine to shake. "Ohio State's lucky to have you."

"Thanks Jerry" Blaine said politely accepting his hand.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come?" Bailey said, worry etched in her voice.

"Nope, it's fine. I'm going to have fun with my family tonight." Blaine said, turning to the people behind him. "I love you sis. I'll stop by tomorrow sometime." He kissed her on the forehead, and smoothed his and over Brylee's hair, not wanting to kiss her while she was in Jerry's arms.

By the time Kurt, Blaine, and Finn got back to the Hummel household, Burt and Carole had gone ahead of them, the house and backyard was full of their friends from McKinley, and Burt was grilling burgers, as Carole was pulling all sorts of snacks out of the fridge.

"What can I do to help?" Blaine asked immediately as he set Elle's diaper bag down on the counter.

"Nothing Blaine. I know you're family, but this is your party. So there is nothing you can do to help me but have a good time." She said, sweetly placing a hand on his cheek.

He quickly found Kurt standing with Brittany and Santana. Santana was holding Elle with Brittany was exclaiming over her. "I can't believe my baby girl is starting to walk and is going to be eleven already!"

"Eleven month's Brittany" Kurt corrected her, as she took the little girl from Santana's arms. "And she just took her first step yesterday. I'll show you the video later" he gushed.

"You have fun with your daddy and Blaine don't you little bunny?" she asked her daughter.

"She calls her little bunny because of the stuffed pink bunny. It's her favorite toy and it's the first one Brittany picked out for her."

"You're going to spend the party with Mommy tonight" she told the little girl. "I mean I'm not really your mommy, you weren't meant for me but still, when I carried you for your daddy I fell in love with you. So I'm kind of your mommy."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Can you imagine this one raising a baby on her own" she said, jerking her thumb towards Brittany.

"I think she'd be a great mother" Blaine said as he observed Brittany's sweet exchanges with her daughter, that he had come to love so much.

The pair spent the entire night playing together and when it was time for her to go to bed, Kurt, Blaine, and Brittany all climbed up the stairs, sang her a song, and wished their little girl good night.

Later that evening, after all the guest were gone except Puck who was corralled with Finn in his room, Kurt and Blaine sat up downstairs, so they wouldn't wake Elle, on the couch talking with the television volume on low.

"So Kurt, I had a thought."

"Yeah babe."

"Just the other day I was going over all of the housing options for Ohio State."

Kurt let his head fall onto Blaine's shoulder. "Blaine," he whined, "it's only the start of summer, can we please not talk about you leaving?"

"But that's just the thing. Ohio State does not require freshmen to live on campus their first semester like some schools do. So," he took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you would want to move to Columbus with me."

Kurt moved his head of Blaine's shoulder to look at him fully.

"Just hear me out, please, before you say anything. I got my trust fund today and I have my grandfather's inheritance too, which is a lot of money. In all honesty I have enough money to support us comfortably for the rest of our lives. We can rent a house out there while I go to school full time. You can get a CNA job anywhere right? You said you wanted to take classes too; you could easily do that being so close to OSU. I can pay for day care for Elle so you can work full time, or you can work part time and stay home with her if you want or not work at all. Hell I don't' care. I just, I know we haven't been together that long Kurt but I love you, and Elle" he added, "more than anything else in the world, and it would kill me to be away from you for that long. I'm in this for the long haul Kurt and I really think that we could make this work. I know we're young but we both know that this isn't some high school fling romance. I feel it and I know you feel it too. What do you say?" He got down on the floor on one knee. "Will you move in with me?"

Kurt's hand moved to his mouth, speechless. Blaine righted himself on the sofa.

"But Blaine," he stammered, "What about your parents?"

"Screw my parent's!" he shouted. "They're not paying for school I am, with _my_ trust fund. I fulfilled the requirements. It's in my name, they can't touch it anymore. I'm sick of being perfect little rich boy Blaine Anderson. In fact I think it's time I let Blake do some much needed influencing. I don't care what they think anymore. They don't matter, I do, and you do, and Elle does. And I want this, you, us!" he exclaimed, his voice rising, "as a family more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. I know we're only eighteen but I don't care. I want this, and I know we can do it."

Kurt bit his lip slightly, letting his mind wonder over everything Blaine had said before looking Blaine in his hazel eyes and nodding.

"Yeah," he whispered softly, countering Blaine's previous harsh tones. "I'd love to."

"Oh my god, thank you Kurt" Blaine said, hugging Kurt for all he was worth unable to contain himself, as tears of joy dropped from his eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He cried as he rocked them back and forth.

"So I guess if we're going to be living together, Little Miss Elle should start trying to learn 'Papa' to go along with 'Dada' shouldn't she?"

All Blaine could do was nod as he continued to sob happily into the crook of Kurt's neck. "I love you so much Kurt."

"I love you too Blaine."

"Always" Blaine said.

"and Forever" Kurt added.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Longest chapter yet. This was a hard one to write and to try to get right. It's more of snippets of the boy's summer instead of one cohesive plot theme. As always, I hope you enjoy and please review, pretty please with a Klaine kiss on top.

Ch 5

"Da da da, da da da" Elle chanted, as Blaine pulled her out of her crib to dress her in the red white a blue plaid dress that Kurt had picked out for her.

"No, no, no sweetheart." Blaine chided playfully, "Pa pa pa pa pa" he corrected. "Can you say Papa?"

"P sounds are kind of hard for babies, hun." Kurt said, leaning against the doorway.

"I know" Blaine answered dejectedly, and slipped navy sandals onto Elle's feet. "You'll get there soon though, right? You will if I keep saying it enough."

He set the little girl on the floor where she walked with a slight wobble towards Kurt, spouting a whole new round of "Dada's."

"That's my big girl" he Kurt cooed, picking her up and spinning her. "You know who your Daddy is!"

"I can't believe she's going to be a year old in two days." Blaine said as he snatched a tiny navy blue sweater out of a drawer and stuffing it in a diaper bag before looking back up at Kurt, who was giving him a look that clearly said 'don't remind me.' "Are you ready to do this babe?"

Kurt nodded. "There's no pretending anymore. We're not in high school. We've graduated, we're together, I have a baby, you're helping me raise her, we're moving in together. They kind of deserve to know."

The Warblers were getting together for one last farewell performance at Nick's families 4th of July picnic. First they were all meeting for breakfast at a local buffet for a reunion of sorts. It was there that the pair had decided to tell their friends, besides Wes and David who already knew, about Elle.

"Do you have everything in the diaper bag?" Kurt asked, as he lifted it onto his shoulder.

"I should" Blaine snorted with a laugh. "I started packing the green one and then halfway through stopped to change her and then continued the packing in the brown one, I combined them so, I think so. Pacifier, diaper's, wipes, her sippy cup, extra apple juice, water, a banana, puffy treats, apple sauce, peas and peaches for lunch, broccoli and pineapple for dinner, if we stay that long, and she's eating more and more solid food so she can nibble on everything we're eating all day, she took a little formula just now, and I figured she would eat some of my eggs if I get them scrambled. I have her book she likes to chew on, and a couple other hard toys she can chew on if her teeth start to bother her, and her blanket, and a sweater in case it gets chilly, and of course her Bun Bun." Blaine said, indicating the bunny who's foot was clasped in Elle's fist tightly.

Kurt reviewed the list mentally in his head. "I think we have it all. Ready to go?"

"Absolutely" Blaine said cheerfully, slipping his feet into his flip flops. "You look amazing by the way today, Mr. Hummel" he said as he walked by, letting his hand brush along Kurt's waist, taking in his fitted navy shorts that hit just above the knee, and a red and white striped sweater vest over top a white short sleeved button down top, and navy boat shoes. His hair was shaped into its normal perfect coif.

"You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Anderson" Kurt replied, toward Blaine adorned in khaki cargo shorts and a light blue v-neck tee, a red cardigan slung over his arm. He ran a hand through Blaine's only slightly gelled hair that still showed his gorgeous curls, as he pulled his boyfriend in for a kiss.

"Blaine, I know you practically live here and we've stopped making you use the air mattress because you and Kurt are moving in together, but keep it PG in front of the kid huh?" Burt joked as we walked past from the hall.

"You got it Burt" he responded, pulling away from Kurt with a final kiss on the nose. He held his arms out for Elle. "You got the bag, I'll get the baby."

!

"I can't do this" Kurt said nervously, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You just go to the picnic Blaine. Have Wes or David bring you home. I can't go in there. I don't think I can do this again, explain my baby."

Blaine's hand pressed into Kurt's thigh reassuringly. "Kurt, you're not leaving. You're going to have one last good time with all of your friends together before we move to Columbus. If it makes you that uncomfortable why don't you stay in the lobby with Elle? Wes, David, and I will explain everything, and you can come in when we're done."

"Maybe" Kurt muttered, biting his lower lip.

"It's going to be fine. They won't think any different of you, and I'm sure they'll love Elle. Who couldn't? Wes and David had a good time at the park with her the other day. Bailey will be at the picnic with Jerry and Brylee; you can just stick close to them if you feel uncomfortable at Nick's house. Mom and Dad spend every Fourth of July in the Hampton's so you don't need to worry about running into them."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Blaine glanced at his watch. "We better head in, I'm sure everyone else is already here." He got out and opened the back door, easing Elle out of her car seat and into his arms, making sure her pink bunny was safe in her arms. He handed the diaper bag to Kurt who had just rounded the car.

"Hi," Blaine smiled brightly at the hostess. "We're with a party, I think someone said they made the reservation under Warbler?"

The girl giggled. "The Warblers, yes, we have you in one of the reception rooms, because last time you were all here you broke out into song in the middle of the dining room. If you'll follow me?" She said motioning with her hand. "It's the first door on the left here," she said after leading them through the main buffet dining room. "Help yourselves, enjoy."

"I'll take the diaper bag with me. Do you think you can juggle her and plate and head off to get something to eat a while until we let them know?"

"Blaine, I can juggle her and anything." Kurt said snarkily. He set the girl down on the ground clasping her hand in his to steady her as she walked faster than her still unstable legs wanted to carry her, guiding her towards the buffet line.

Blaine took a deep breath and entered the room.

"Hey Blaine where's Kurt and my main girl?" David asked loudly.

"He's having a little trouble with the whole explaining situation, so I kind of said we'd handle it." Blaine said, his eyes begging for help.

"We got this covered." Wes assured him, clapping a hand on his shoulder before Wes and David moved to the head of the table, slowly followed by Blaine.

David stood up on a chair and clapped his hands loudly. "Listen up people. We've got something to tell you and you're going to shut up, listen, and not say anything about it, got it?"

There was a murmuring of curiosity throughout the room.

"They're all yours Blaine" Wes said gently, placing a hand on the small of the nervous boys back and leading him in front of David, who had stumbled getting off of his chair.

"So, there's something that Kurt and I, and Wes and David, have been keeping from you since a little while after Kurt transferred." He wasn't sure of any way to say it other than to come right out with it. "Kurt has a daughter guys. He slept with a girl last year because of some family issues and she got pregnant. She's not exactly fit to raise a child so Kurt is. Her name is Elizabeth, Elle, for short, she'll be one in two days and she's the most amazing little girl, and Kurt is a wonderful father, and I'm going to help him raise her. In about a month we're going to move into a house that we found to rent in Columbus while I go to school. Please, please don't judge us. Kurt knows that he made a mistake in sleeping with Brittany, but we also know that it has turned into something beautiful, and we just hope that you can continue to accept and support us."

The room filled with silence, and Blaine shifted uneasily on his feet, his fingers moving his bracelet around his wrist.

"Of course we will man." Nick piped up loudly. Finally general sounds of consensus filled the room.

"Yeah bro, you're still Blaine, he's still Kurt, you're still in love and grossly perfect together. So now there's an Elle added to the situation, so what?"

A huge smile of relief broke out on Blaine's face.

"Good" he said with a happy sigh. "Then there's someone who we would like you to meet, if you'll give me a moment.

He walked out of the room to find Kurt leading Elle toward him slowly, a plate of food in one hand and Elle's hand in his other. She was walking well, chewing contently on a spoon.

"They're ready to meet the wonderful Elle" he said, holding his hands out so she could walk into them. "That's right Ellie, come to Papa." He said as he hoisted her into his arms.

"How did they take it?" Kurt asked nervously.

"Just like I thought they would, they're fine Kurt. They don't care."

He walked through the doorway with Elle, "Well, if all of you are my brothers" he said with a smile. "Then I'd like to introduce you to your niece. Everyone, meet Elle Hummel!"

There was a great rumble of chairs as everyone stood up to gather around and meet the little girl.

After everything had calmed down the large group of boys had leapt at the buffet in earnest. Wes was walking in with his second plate when he stopped, and pulled Elle out of her chair with one arm. "Come here, Ellie girl" he said using the nick name he had heard Kurt's brother use, "why don't you sit with Uncle Wes for a little so your Daddy and Papa have time to eat." He sat her in his lap and pulled bits of his pancake off for her to eat. Kurt looked at him in relief. He had been too busy feeding her bites of egg and trying to keep her from fussing from being cooped up in the unfamiliar restaurant provided high chair that he had barely eaten anything for himself.

Ten minutes later, Wes' food now sat untouched apart from Elle, and Blaine retrieved her from his lap to feed the little girl her proper breakfast of apple sauce while Kurt finished his second plate of food and left to get a third plate for them to share.

"She's a lot of work, isn't she?" Jeff asked from across the table.

"Yeah" Blaine replied, as he airplaned a spoon full of apple sauce into Elle's mouth. "I wouldn't trade it for anything though. I mean I'm sure life would be easier if I had fallen for someone who didn't have a kid, but I love Kurt and her so much. I don't know what I'd do without him. I don't think Kurt knows it and he always talks about how I saved him, but I think he's done even more for me."

"Oh God, you two are so cute you make us sick" Trent yelled from the other end of the table. "Now you add a baby into the mix, we won't be able to keep anything down." He joked.

The whole room erupted into a burst of laughter.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked as he returned.

"Nothing dear," Blaine said kissing him on the cheek. "We were all just talking about how perfect you were."

"Pssht, tell me something I don't know" Kurt said sassily as he placed a donut in front of Blaine.

!

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Elle"

"Ellie"

"Elizabeth"

"Bunny" Chorused the many different names for the birthday girl all at the same time.

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Blow out your candle with Daddy" Blaine coaxed, as Kurt leaned forward to blow out the candle that was shaped like a one, perched atop a pink bunny shaped cake.

"Yay Elle!" Brittany shouted.

"Wait, wait, wait," Carole yelled, just as the candle went out. "Re-light it. I forgot to get pictures of the birthday girl with her cake."

Burt chuckled as he lit the candle again. Carole took pictures of all of the possible combinations of people with the girl, ending finally with one of Elle, Kurt, Blaine, and Brittany.

"That's not going to be a hard picture to explain when we pull out embarrassing baby photo's now is it?" Blaine asked sarcastically.

Kurt smacked his arm, and moved the large bunny cake away from Elle to make room for the traditional smaller cake that was given to children to dig into with their hands on their first birthdays. Elle quickly dug into the cake, removing the smaller bunny of one of its ears and promptly shoving it into her face.

Blaine bet down to kiss her forehead smiling and laughing at her when she reached her cake covered hand up and hit his cheek with it covering him in cake too. "Pa pa pa pa pa" she chanted in a bubbly voice.

"Oh my God! KURT! She said 'Papa,' she said 'Papa,' Kurt! That's right baby girl, I'm your Papa!" He exclaimed, scooping her up into a hug.

Burt chuckled softly next to Carole. "I hope your getting pictures of this" he said.

"Better," Carole whispered, "video, and I can freeze the still frames later to get pictures if we want."

Burt laughed again. "You know, I'm sure part of me is supposed to be upset that my eighteen year old son's boyfriend is happy that his boyfriend's daughter called him Papa but oddly I'm not." Burt whispered, so he wouldn't be picked up by the camera.

"That's because those boys love and deserve each other way beyond their years." Carole replied wisely. "They've both had to grow up so fast, and not by choice." She smiled as she watched both boys and Brittany help Elle tear into her cake, making it into a mini food fight between the three of them, smearing cake all over each other's faces.

"I'm gonna go cut the big cake" Burt said, kissing Carole on the temple before walking away.

"Look here and smile you guys" she said, yelling towards the small family.

"Oh my God!" Kurt groaned after a moment of smiling and realizing that no flash went off "she's taping this!"

Blaine let out a laugh and just waved to the camera. "Wave to Grandma Ellie" he encouraged. "Blow her kisses." He said as the little girl brought her cake covered hand to her mouth again and then back down.

"Ma ma ma ma" she giggled at Brittany as her hand smeared more cake across her mother's face. She laughed and bent down to kiss her daughter on the cheek.

Carole finally set the camera down and graciously retrieved a towel so the trio could clean off. Kurt was just wiping the last bit of cake off of Elle's hands when Carole stole her away from him.

"I want to her picture with everyone here while she's happy and cooperating" she explained. "You and Blaine just go eat your cake."

!

Blaine pulled into the drive way of his house with the moving truck following behind. Most of his stuff had accumulated at Kurt's anyway throughout the summer but larger stuff, like his bed that they had chosen to take with them, would just be easier to pick up here. Everything was already packed into boxes and ready to go.

His dad was at work and his mom was running her usual morning errands. They knew that he had chosen to live off campus and that he was moving out today, but they had no idea that he was moving out for good. He never expected to spend a night in this house again.

Kurt hopped out of the Blaine's car after him, and reached to remove Elle from the back seat. She was sleeping, which she hadn't been doing much of during the day, so instead he removed her entire carrier from the dock in the back seat, and set it on the ground while Blaine instructed the movers.

"God, I'm glad to be rid of this place." Blaine sighed, as he lifted Elle and her carried off of the ground and carried her into the foyer. Kurt followed after grabbing the diaper bag from the back seat. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen. It's the only place other than my room that ever felt like home, and that's cause I was always with my mom in there." A sad smile stretched over Kurt's lips as he followed quietly through Blaine's massive house.

Blaine set Elle on a stool and unbuckled her safety restraints carefully so she could wiggle around if she wanted to. Kurt was leaning against the counter, taking in the kitchen. He was clad in those amazing navy shorts again, with a white braided belt, and a light blue striped shirt tucked into them, and rolled up past his elbows. He had red boat shoes on today.

"This house is amazing." Kurt said in awe.

Blaine's eyes traveled up and down Kurt's body. "You're amazing." He replied, stepping towards Kurt, placing a hand on his waist. He pressed his lips into Kurt's slowly, drinking in his wonderful taste that always somehow included a hint of coffee even if the boy hadn't had any.

"Blaine, the movers" Kurt mumbled into his lips.

Blaine rested his forehead against Kurt's. "They're just going between my room and the truck; we're a foyer, and a living room away from them. Elle's asleep for once in our lives; let's just make the most of it. Please?" he added at the end pressing in a little bit closer.

Kurt blushed deeply and nodded, before tilting his head to capture Blaine's lips in his own. Kurt loved the throaty noise that escaped from Blaine, and he let his hands move from where they were grasping the counter to wrap around his boyfriend. One hand traveled to the back of his neck, allowing his fingers to weave into Blaine's perfectly curled hair. Blaine wrapped one arm fully around Kurt, leaving the other grasping his waist and their lips parted for each other's tongues. Suddenly Blaine's mouth was gone, but Kurt quickly found it attached to his neck, licking and biting gently so no marks were left. Kurt could see over his shoulder to the tall man striding through the doorway to the kitchen.

"Blaine" Kurt squeaked.

"BLAINE EVERETT ANDERSON" Blaine's father roared at the same time.

Elle started to cry, startled from her nap by the booming noise. Kurt moved quickly out from under Blaine and pulled his daughter from her seat, cradling her to his chest.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Mr. Anderson yelled angrily.

Blaine backed up against the counter and held his hands up in a surrendering position. "Nothing dad, we're just here with the movers."

"The hell it's nothing! You're here all over this fag in the middle of my kitchen, and you tell me it's nothing!"

"HEY!" Blaine shouted, rage bubbling to the surface. "You will not talk about him that way! He is my boyfriend and I love him! So if he's a fag than so am I!"

"You bet your ass you are" muttered Mr. Anderson under his breath as Elle continued to cry.

Kurt was attempting to sooth her but she could recognize the sound of Blaine's voice, and she could tell something wasn't right. Her cry was higher and harsher than normal permeated with bouts of "Pa pa pa pa pa."

"It's okay angel," Blaine tried to keep his voice level and smooth, to reassure the child. "Papa's okay baby girl."

"Papa? How the fuck can you have a baby, Blaine, you're a faggot!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Elle wailed even harder. "Kurt could you take her out of here please, she doesn't need to hear this." Blaine pleaded. Kurt glanced nervously between Mr. Anderson and the doorway to the living room. Finally he picked up the diaper bag and began moving toward a door on the other side of the kitchen.

"Elle is Kurt's daughter. I love him, and I love her, and we're going to raise her together. I'm moving out of the prison of a house and I'm never coming back! Just like Blake!" Blaine spat at his father.

"What is going on in here?" Came a shrill voice, from behind Mr. Anderson. Kurt stopped in mid push of the door and turned to find Blaine's mother bursting into the room.

"Your son is being a god damn fag that what! You're god damn right you're moving out of this house and you're never coming back, because you're not welcome." Mr. Anderson's harsh venom filled voice sounded through the kitchen, before he turned and left the room.

"Paul!" Mrs. Anderson yelled as he strode away, reaching a hand out to try and reach his shoulder.

She wheeled around quickly and took in the situation, Blaine standing at the counter with tears running down his face and a taller, thinner boy, holding a wailing baby to his chest, halfway through the door that led to a hall that contained an office, den, and the kids old play room.

"What's going on, Blaine?" She asked more evenly.

Blaine wiped his eyes quickly. "Mom, I told you that I had a boyfriend, well this is him." He beckoned to Kurt to come over.

"She wants you" Kurt whispered as he handed Elle to Blaine. "She needs to know you're okay. She's never heard you sound like that before." Kurt said softly, wiping away the tear that ran down his cheek.

"It's okay Elle" he said soothingly, running a hand over her hair and down to her back. "Papa's got you. Everything's okay." She shoved her head into the crook of his neck, while Clare Anderson stood and watched.

"Mom, this is Kurt, Kurt, my mother, Clare Anderson."

Clare stepped forward with her hand outstretched. "It's lovely to meet you." She said politely.

"Likewise," Kurt responded. "Blaine's told me so much about you."

She smiled slightly, "Yes, too bad it couldn't have been under better circumstances." She turned to Blaine. "Did you leave something out about your boyfriend Blaine Anderson?" she asked sternly.

"I did." Blaine said simply.

"Care to explain?" Clare asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"Kurt has a daughter, her name is Elle, and I love her just as much as I love him. Maybe more" he said nudging Kurt with a small laugh. "I'm not just moving to Columbus when I go to Ohio State, and it's not some apartment with a bunch of friends. We've found a house to rent, just ten minutes from campus. We're going to live together, and I'm going to help Kurt raise Elle."

"Blaine, darling, you can't be serious. You're only eighteen."

"Yeah well I act a lot older than eighteen. I wonder whose fault that is." He added. "I think I learned that life isn't always sunshine and rainbows from a very young age Mom, so why should I live like it is now?" He said quietly but harshly.

Silent tears fell down Clare Anderson's face.

"Mom, I'm sorry" Blaine said stepping forward, Elle having calmed down in his arms. "I didn't mean to make you cry." He touched her arm.

She sniffed loudly before speaking. "No, you're right. I'm not going to pretend that I support your decision, but I don't condemn you for it either. I've already lost one son because of your father, I'm not about to lose another."

"Mom," Blaine soothed, running his hand up and down her arm, "you've got to stop blaming yourself for Blake."

"I don't" she said stonily. "I blame your father. If he hadn't treated you the way he did, and run this family the way he did Blake would have never joined the military to get away." She placed her head into Blaine's shoulder opposite of Elle, with a sob.

Blaine turned his head and looked to Kurt for help. He came and lifted Elle from Blaine with only a small whine from her. Blaine wrapped his arms around his mother.

"Blake always did whatever he wanted to do. You couldn't have stopped him. This house was suffocating him, and he got out."

"And it's all your fathers fault"

Blaine said nothing, just continued to rub his mothers back. He couldn't bring himself to argue her statement.

Clare quickly pulled herself together and wiped the running mascara from her face. "I'm sorry, darling. You shouldn't have to take care of me." She apologized, returning to the perfect housewife mode.

"Well beyond eighteen, Mom" he reminded with a shrug. "So, would you like to meet Elle?"

She gave a small uncertain nod, as Blaine reached for the little girl again.

"Mom, this is Elizabeth Carole Hummel, my boyfriend's daughter."

"Elle" he said in the girls ear, "this is…" he trailed off not knowing what to say.

"This is your grandma Anderson" Kurt filled in for him, with a small smile on his face, "If you want to be, that is." Kurt added toward Blaine's mother.

She gave another small nod. If she didn't want to lose a son she would have to gain a granddaughter.

Blaine handed her the little girl.

"She's beautiful" she said, bouncing her a little. "She looks just like you," she said toward Kurt. "How old is she?"

"Almost thirteen month's" Kurt responded. "I can email you pictures of her birthday party." He said slowly than added, "If you want" again.

"Yes, that'd be nice" she said hesitation filling her voice.

"We're all done upstairs." A gruff voice said, from the doorway to the kitchen. "Is there anything else going?"

"No, that's everything." Blaine answered. "We should get going Mom." He said, reaching forward and taking Elle from her. He passed her to Kurt and then slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and picked up her carrier.

"I'll send you the address of the house, in the email with the pictures." Kurt said softly. "Say bye bye to Grandma Anderson" Kurt said, as Elle just cuddled deeper into his arm.

"Bye Mom" Blaine said wrapping her in a one armed hug and kissed her on the cheek. "We'll be back in Lima for Thanksgiving. I'm sure I won't be welcome here for dinner but maybe we could meet up before or after the holiday?"

"Yes, yes, of course" she said in a gentle whisper, placing a soft hand to his stubbly face, as it set in that her son would not be welcome and probably did not want to spend the holiday with his family. "You call me when you get there and settled in okay?"

"Sure Mom," he said hugging her again.

"I love you, darling."

"I love you too, Mom." He said as he walked away toward Kurt.

"Come on, babe, you're dad's probably worried about us." He said wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him out of the house, for good.

**A/N:** Next chapter will see them saying good bye to the Hummel's and moving into their house. Thanks again for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So getting ready to go back school and the Little League World Series has basically taken over my life so please excuse me if the next chapter is a little later than usual in posting. Thank you so much to anyone who has read, alerted, favorite, or reviewed this story. It means so much! As always I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review cause I like knowing what you think!

Ch 6

Elle was awake and ready to go by the time Blaine's car pulled next to Kurt's Navigator, in the Hummel's driveway.

Burt appeared on the porch, "What took you guys so long? We expected you a little bit ago. Did you get held up?"

"Something like that" Blaine snorted, as he pulled Elle out of the car and let her crawl up the porch steps to her grandfather.

"What happened?" Burt asked, as Kurt approached.

"Blaine's dad showed up while we were still there." Kurt explained, with Blaine trailing behind him.

"What happened?" Burt repeated a little frantic this time. He placed both of his hands on Blaine's cheeks and began moving the boys face back and forth. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Burt; my dad would never hit me." Burt lowered his hands. "He just made it very clear that I was not welcome in his house anymore."

"I'm sorry Blaine," he said wrapping the boy in a hug. "You know you're always welcome here kid, right?"

Blaine nodded. "It's just as well. I didn't want to go back there to stay anyway."

"Yeah, but I'm sorry that it had to happen like that."

Blaine just nodded again.

"Let's go get some coffee" Burt said, picking up Elle and leading Blaine into the kitchen.

Kurt led the movers into the house and upstairs to his room, which was completely filled with boxes of his clothes, that couldn't fit into the navigator.

"Everything with a post it goes." Kurt explained. "Don't worry about the numbers on them, that's for when they go into the house."

He followed the movers down with their first round of boxes, and into the kitchen. Blaine and Burt were sitting at the kitchen table trying to coax Elle into eating her oatmeal while Carole stood at the stove flipping pancakes.

"I'll take over dear," Carole said, placing a large plate of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him and forcing Blaine to move down a chair, and sitting next to Elle herself. In Carole's world, where she couldn't be the boy's mother and take care of him herself, chocolate chip pancakes solved everything.

"I made wheat blueberry pancakes for you guys" she said nodding toward father and son. "They're on a plate by the stove. Don't you dare touch those chocolate chip pancakes Burt Hummel" she warned, as Kurt smacked his hand away from the pile that was for Finn.

"I think I deserve some chocolate chip pancakes too!" Burt said with a mock pout. "My little boy is all grown up and moving out." He whined, wrapping one arm around Kurt.

"You people all act like we're moving half way across the world. It's an hour and forty-five minutes away." Kurt said rolling his eyes.

"To parents, that seems like it's halfway around the world." Carole explained. "You just wait" she chided, "one day you'll know how it feels."

"Nope" Blaine said, with his mouth full. "She's never moving out. I'm gonna keep her at the top of a tower like Rapunzel except I won't let her grow her hair."

The kitchen burst out in laughter, as Finn walked in. "Wazgoinon?" he mumbled.

"Time to wake up, man!" Burt yelled, clapping him on the back. "Your brothers and Elle are moving out today."

Kurt didn't miss the smile that appeared on Blaine's face as he launched into the itinerary of the day.

"So, once the movers are done here, I'm going to go with them to the furniture store to pick up our order that they're holding for us so it can go in the truck in Blaine's car with Elle. You guys can follow Blaine out and start unpacking the Navigator until I get there with the movers. Don't you hurt either of my babies, Blaine Anderson."

"I've taken Elle places by myself before Kurt," Blaine countered, slightly offended.

"I meant my car Blaine." Kurt corrected.

Finn snorted a laugh with a mouth full of chocolate chip pancakes.

"Gross, Finn" Kurt said as Elle giggled at him.

Soon the movers had been force fed pancakes by Carole and everyone was out the door in such a flurry of activity that the boys barely thought about the fact that they would not be returning that evening.

!

"This is it!" Blaine said holding out his arms as he walked through the door and into the living room of the house. "The Hummel-Anderson house."

"It looks small" Finn commented.

"It's kind of small, but there is only three of us and it's really nice. Here let me give you the tour." He said excitedly. "We're in the living room now. Upstairs" he indicated the stairway directly to the left "are two bedrooms and a bathroom." Across the living room, directly ahead of them was an open archway that led into the kitchen and connected dining room.

"Kurt says it's good that you can't see the dining room from the living room because that way we can continue the color scheme from the living room to the kitchen but then change it up in the dining room. He called it a tri-color scheme, whatever that is." Blaine said shrugging his shoulders. "And the previous owners added a bathroom off of the kitchen, it took out some space in the back of the garage, but it was just storage. Both cars will still fit in fine, I think, as long as it's wide enough for the Navigator and the Legacy. It'll be nice not to have to go upstairs every time we have to go to the bathroom." They stood at the sliding glass doors that led out to a small cement patio. "The back yard is decent sized. We're looking into getting a swing set for Elle already and Kurt's been going wild looking at patio furniture online. The fence goes all the way around." He led them back into the living room and opened folding doors along the wall, under the stairs. "Washer and dryer tuck right in here." He explained.

"This is actually a really nice house, Blaine." Carole commented. "How did you find it?"

"It had just gone on the market the first day we were looking through the paper at breakfast, when we came out here for a few days to look. We were the first ones to call. We took one look at the house, they took one look at my bank statements and we signed the papers. It's almost too perfect. It's only ten minutes from campus, it's just outside the city, and the nursery school we found from Elle is right on the way, and the Nursing Home that hired Kurt is only another five minutes past OSU."

"So when to classes start?" Burt questioned.

"Three weeks, the 29th of August. Kurt wanted to give us a week to get everything set up in the house. He starts work after that and I'm at home with Elle for a week so she can get completely used to the new house before she goes to nursery school. And he wanted me to be able to be home that first week until she gets adjusted incase anything goes wrong or she needs something, just to get all of the kinks worked out." Blaine explained. "He's amazing, he has this all planned out. I even think all of the paint is in the back of the Navigator already."

"He's one hell of a kid, that's for sure." Burt replied.

"I still can't believe this house. I would have killed to have a house like this when I was first starting out."

"I'm happy for you, kid" he said addressing Blaine. He placed a heavy hand on the boys shoulder. "You do know what you're doing here with this right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Are you sure you want to? You're only eighteen son."

"So is Kurt." Blaine countered.

"He's not in this by choice, you are. I love you like my own son Blaine, and I just want to make sure that you're good."

"I'm good Burt." Blaine replied. "You've talked to me about all of this before, and Kurt and I talked a lot about this even after he agreed to move out here with me. We're going to make it work." He stated with confidence.

"Okay" Burt said with a nod. "Let's start moving those boxes then."

Blaine smiled. "Okay, boxes with a one on them go in Elle's room, up the stairs on the right. Boxes with a two go in our room, on the left. Three's go in the upstairs bathroom, four's go in the living room, and 5's go in the kitchen." He announced as they left the house for the car.

The Navigator was almost completely unpacked with boxes in their designated rooms when Kurt pulled up followed by the movers. The system had obviously been explained, and Kurt had put post its on everything from the furniture store because they got to work right away, possibly because they wanted to be rid of the neurotic controlling teen. Kurt lifted Elle from her car seat and set her on the ground, leaving her to toddle up to the front porch to her Papa.

"She slept almost the whole way here. She woke up about fifteen minutes ago, now she's sick of being cooped up." Kurt explained, as the girl babbled up at Blaine, reaching her arms up to be held.

The movers made quick work of the unloading due to Kurt's incredibly organized system. Before they knew it the movers were closing the back of truck, Blaine was writing them a check and they were driving away.

"Oh my God this is going to take forever!" Kurt said, slapping his palm to his forehead, as he stood in the living room and looked at the boxes and furniture scattered all over the living room and kitchen. The only things in place were the kitchen table and the dining room table, which were both littered in boxes.

"First things first" Burt said. "We need some food." Finn nodded vigorously in agreement. "I saw a pizza place a couple blocks away when we were on our way in. I'll go pick us something up, while you guys clear the kitchen table off. Finn, Blaine, meat lovers?" he questioned.

"Please." Blaine answered for both of them.

"I'm guessing broccoli for us three, right Carole?"

"Yes please, dearest." She answered batting her eyelashes.

"Well, we might as well unpack them if we're getting them off of the table. What's in that box Finn?"

"Plates and stuff" he said pulling a box of black Fiesta plates from a large cardboard box.

"Good," Kurt said, "we can wash them and use them. We just need silverware and I know I packed dish soap and rags somewhere. Start digging people." He ordered.

"Here we go!" Blaine yelled in excitement, pulling silverware from the bottom of the box Finn had moved.

"Two out of three." Carole chirped happily. "Do I get a prize for finding the dish soap and towels?"

"Yes!" Blaine shouted. "You get to help Kurt get organized here, so you don't have to help Finn and I put together the beds and crib."

"I'll take it" she shouted as if she was on a game show. Kurt laughed as he unpacked plates and cups, stacking them by the sink that was filling with water.

Elle followed Blaine and Finn out of the room on all fours. "She is loving all of this new exploring" Kurt commented on his daughters antics.

"Kurt!" Came a shout from the living room. "Where did we unload the baby gate to?" Blaine yelled.

"In her room I think." Kurt said, wiping his wet hands on his jeans. "I'll find it." He scooped up Elle, who had made it up the two stairs to the landing and was working on starting the longer trek to the top. "You silly girl, you. You can't go up the steps yet."

!

"So," Blaine started, as he tightened a screw on his side of the metal bed frame. "Do you think you'll transfer out here after a year at Lima Community College?"

"I don't know man." Finn said shrugging. He stood and together they lowered the box spring and mattress onto the frame. "I mean, Lima sort of seems like the kind of place for me, you know?"

"It's not really the kind of place for Rachel though is it?" Blaine asked knowingly, as they started on the crib.

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "She's leaving for NYU in two weeks." He said simply.

"I know, Kurt was thinking of having you guys up here one night for dinner and to stay over before she left, so you could have a proper good bye without parents hovering."

"Oh yeah with my brothers boyfriend and their baby, real romantic." Finn said sarcastically , then paused and panic struck his face. "Sorry man, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay Finn. I understand. This isn't exactly the life I thought I'd be living either. But you know, in a way its better. I'm finally out from under my father's thumb. I'm not trying to constantly please him anymore. Kurt and your family helped me accomplish that. So thanks. I mean I know I thank your mom all of the time, and I've said thank you to Burt more times than I can count but I don't think I ever thanked you."

"What for?"

"For being there, for acting like I was just another member of the family."

"But, like, you are."

Blaine smiled widely. "Thanks Finn."

"You're welcome, I guess."

"And thank you for not spilling the beans about my mess of a life to Rachel."

"No problem, dude."

"Maybe it would be a good thing for you guys to come up one day. I know Rachel's been feeling a little left out in regards to the rest of the family since I came into the picture and invaded your lives. Maybe this will make her feel better."

"Yeah, maybe."

"And Finn, don't worry about Rachel being in New York, she loves you. Everything will work you. You just do whatever makes you comfortable, and if that's staying in Lima than do it. But, you know, if you transfer out here, you'll never have to pay to do laundry. You could just do it here, and I'm sure Kurt would get frustrated with you not doing it right and just do it for you."

Finn laughed. "You make a pretty good brother dude."

"Thanks, you do too." Blaine said earnestly as his fingers found his bracelet.

!

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay and do anything else?" Burt asked as everyone lay sprawled across the living room furniture that was awkwardly squashed into the center of the room, still covered in plastic from the store. Elle was sleeping in her new room for the first time, having been put down for a nap after falling asleep in the middle of the living room floor from exhaustion.

"No, I think we're good. We're just going to keep everything in the middle of the rooms until we paint. Blaine and Finn put the beds together. You already insisted on putting together the entertainment center, the book shelves, and the end tables. Everything else came put together."

"You don't need anything else, food, sheets, towels?"

"I think we're good Carole," Blaine said. "We'll probably just order Chinese for supper and hit the grocery store tomorrow morning."

"Mom, can we go?" Finn groaned at the mention of food. "I'm getting hungry again, and all they have here is baby food and I already ate half a bottle of Elle's puffy strawberry banana things."

"Finn!" Kurt yelled.

"Okay," Carole sighed, "but before we go, we have a present for you boys."

"Finn honey, go out in the car and get the blue bag."

Finn grumbled but returned moments later with a large blue gift bag.

"Mom, you didn't have to get us anything! You've already done way too much!"

"Well, with you being so far away, you needed this." She explained as Blaine pulled out a large photo album out of the bag. "It's a scrap book, well kind of, it's just one where you peel back the plastic and you can arrange the pictures however you want, you know what I mean Kurt. So it's of Elle's birthday party. I know you have albums of her first year, but this is all her party, so it has a little bit of everyone in it."

Blaine scooted closer to Kurt on the couch the front had a slot for a picture and it was of Elle beaming at the camera. On the outside of the book above the picture Carole had written Elizabeth Carole Hummel, and below it read, Baby's First Birthday. A tear formed in the corner of Kurt's eye as he took in the first page. It held three pictures neatly in a column. The first was of him, Blaine, and Elle around her birthday cake, another was one of him, Brittany, and Elle, and in the middle was one of him, Blaine, Brittany and Elle smiling at the camera behind her big bunny cake. The bottom of the page held the caption, "Daddy, Papa, & Mommy."

Each page held pictures of Elle with everyone who had been at the party with their names underneath the picture. After that came pictures of the mini cake fight that the parents had gotten into and finally was a picture of everyone at the party seated around Blaine, Kurt, and Elle.

"This is my favorite one" Carole said, flipping to the middle of the book, pointing to a picture of her and Burt giving Elle a kiss on each cheek at the same time.

Kurt couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks, and Blaine could feel tears welling up in his eyes too. "This is beautiful Mom, Dad, thank you so much!" Kurt said softly, hugging the book to his chest.

"You're welcome sweetheart." She said pulling both boys into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Dad," Kurt whispered as Burt pulled him into a fierce hug.

"I think it's time for one of our famous Hudmelson Family Group Hug!" Finn yelled, strangely combining all of their last names. They all laughed as they gathered together around Kurt and Burt.

"Thank you, Burt, for everything." Blaine said giving Burt one last hug as they walked to the car.

"I love you boys" Burt replied, wrapping an arm around Kurt's shoulders too. "You tell that my little Ellie girl that I love her too."

"Will do, Dad."

"If you boys ever need anything you just call. Take care of each other now." Burt yelled, his voice shaking as he got into the car.

"We will Dad, promise. Love you!"

"Love you too, son" he said before closing the door and backing out of the driveway.

Kurt and Blaine turned in the front yard to look at their house.

"Welcome home Mr. Hummel" Blaine said wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist.

"Welcome home Mr. Anderson" Kurt echoed, moving his arm around Blaine's waist as well.

A/N: For anyone wondering the goodbye to Brittany will come in the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** It's finally done, between packing and the Keystone games! I lied, so Brittany will be in the next chapter. As always, I hope you guys enjoy!

Ch 7

"Knock-knock" sang a voice that was accompanied by a steady rapping on the edge of the screen door.

"Hi there" Blaine said with question filling his voice as he strode to the door, Elle crawling after him.

"Hello dear!" the little old woman with permed white hair chirped cheerfully. "I'm Sarah Miller, I live just next door." She said pointing to the split level ranch house on the right. "I saw the activity die down here about an hour ago so I thought I'd make you something for dinner." She said presenting a casserole dish with pot holders. "It's chicken and broccoli" she explained.

"Blaine, who's at the door?" Kurt asked, walking from the kitchen to the doorway, stooping to pick up Elle, where she had pulled herself up on Blaine's leg to stand.

"Hi!" Mrs. Tuckerton said brightly again. "I was just introducing myself to…"

"Blaine Anderson" Blaine finished for her, adjusting the pot holders so he was holding the casserole with one hand at its base, and stretching his other out for her to shake. "Kurt, this is Mrs. Miller, our neighbor. Mrs. Miller, this is my boyfriend, Kurt, and his daughter Elle."

There, it was all out in the open. They weren't hiding anything from anyone. Elle was wiggling in Kurt's arms, trying to stretch across to Blaine to pull off the glasses that had replaced his contacts earlier.

"Well isn't she just precious!" Mrs. Miller exclaimed. "And the spitting image of her daddy." She added. "And what a beautiful name, is it short for something?" she inquired.

Both boys let out a breath that they hadn't even known they were holding, and beamed at the short woman.

"Yes, it's short for Elizabeth. It was my mother's name."

"Such a gorgeous, strong, yet delicate name." Mrs. Miller said, while nodding her approval. "Now I won't keep you boys too long," she said patting Kurt's arm. "You can bring the casserole dish back when you come over for dinner tomorrow night, you boys will be doing enough tomorrow, you shouldn't have to worry about dinner on top of everything else. Five o'clock, I hope you enjoy the casserole." She said, as she stepped off the porch and walked across drive way to her yard and house.

Kurt turned to Blaine with wide eyes and confusion stretched across his pale face. "What the heck just happened?" he questioned.

"I think we just made a friend." Blaine said simply. "This casserole smells delicious." He said sniffing at the dish. "It's chicken and broccoli, you should love it. I think I smell onions in there too" he said smelling it again.

"I think we just stumbled into Lima with acceptance." Kurt said, astonished. "Come on; let's get you in the house and eating before you leave me for that casserole."

Blaine laughed. "I know, I thought for sure once the words boyfriend and daughter came out of my mouth she would snatch this back and slam our own door in our faces."

"Well Toto, we're not in Lima anymore." Kurt said with a smile on his face.

!

Blaine woke up early, wondering what he was doing in his bed and not Kurt's until he heard the shower running. He glanced around the room at all the unpacked boxes and groaned flinging the covers off of his body. He listened closely, making sure he didn't hear a single peep from Elle's room, before padding to the bathroom which connected out in the hall and at their room.

"Morning sunshine" he heard Kurt sing from the shower.

Blaine stood at the counter and rubbed his face. "Seriously Kurt, you unpacked all of the bathroom stuff already this morning?" He asked opening and closing all of the cupboards to find them full of towels, wash cloths, and toiletry items.

"MmmHmm" Kurt hummed from the shower. "Now you don't have any work to do, so how about joining me in here?" he asked sticking his head out from the curtain, eying Blaine who was standing in just his boxers briefs. "You look like you could use a shower to wake up."

"Not going to hear any complaints from me." Blaine replied as he stripped off his underwear and hopped into the spray of the shower.

"Hmmm" Kurt hummed again, as Blaine wrapped his arms around him.

"Early morning shower sex?" Blaine questioned playfully, dipping at Kurt's neck.

"Early morning shower sex." Kurt confirmed giggling.

!

"Do you mind watching her while I go to the store?" Kurt asked, as Blaine fed Elle oatmeal for breakfast. "We have absolutely nothing."

Blaine shook his head. "No, I don't mind. I think I'll break that jogging stroller out of its box in the garage and try not to get lost going for a run." He said, wiping Elle's face of oatmeal mess.

"Good idea, she'll love that." Kurt approved. He bent down and kissed Blaine on the cheek. "Don't worry. I shall return with coffee." He promised.

Blaine lifted Elle out of her high chair, and changed her before heading to the garage, and strapping her into the jogging stroller. Elle loved anything to do that involved fast movement, whether being lifted quickly above someone's head and back down or being swung around in a circle. Blaine was convinced she was going to be a roller coaster enthusiast when she was old enough to ride them. One of Blaine's favorite past times when he had been stuck at home all summer, which also allowed him to get away from the house, was to run. When they had decided to move in together he splurged and bought a jogging stroller, knowing that it was something the two of them could do together.

At the end of the driveway Blaine turned to the right going past the Miller's house. He kept going down the block and turned right again, making sure to keep track of land marks and the order of his turns in his head. On the next corner, he found a park across the street, and quickly ran across, running through the pathways that it provided. He took in the picnic pavilions, basketball nets, volleyball and tennis nets, benches and playground equipment. It also housed a stage with rows of benches. It would be the perfect place to bring Elle to play.

As he ran past the Millers house again, Mrs. Miller stood out on the porch with a mug in her hand, beckoning him towards her. He slowed his gait, until he got to the driveway and walked up it, trying to catch his breath.

"Good morning Blaine," she said cheerfully. "And good morning, Elle" she said bending down toward the little girl who beamed up at her, still excited from the run.

"Morning Mrs. Miller," Blaine said in-between breaths. He bent his head down and wiped his face on the bottom of his shirt.

"I'd like you to meet my husband Eddy." She said, gesturing to the man sitting on a large wooden swing against the wall of the house.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Miller," Blaine said, wiping his hand on his mesh shorts before offering it to the man.

He got a small grunt of "Morning" in return.

"My Eddy's not exactly a chatter box" Sarah explained. "But then again, I talk enough for the both of us." She exclaimed laughing.

"I should really be getting back." Blaine said, pointing his thumb at their house. "We're tackling Elle's room and the living room paint-wise today, so…"

"Oh, no wait wait wait! Let me get you some cookies to take home with you for breakfast. I just made them this morning. Some of our family is coming over today, but I'll let you steal a few." She said as if she was trying to keep it a secret from her husband.

When she returned she was holding a plate full of cookies, and a thermos of coffee. "Just bring them back when you come for dinner." She reminded him.

"Thank you so much! This is wonderful; you really didn't have to do this." He said, taking a swig of the coffee.

"Nonsense." She said waving him off. "We'll see you dear's later!" She yelled as Blaine pushed the stroller through their lawn and across to their own.

!

"Okay, so!" Kurt exclaimed clapping his hands. He stood in front of two trays of robin's egg blue paint. He picked up a roller and began slathering it on the wall, Blaine mimicked his actions. "We'll get a coat on here and then decide if it needs a second. I don't think it should the land lord said he put primer on the whole place for us. We'll start on the grey in the living room as it dries, and then I was wondering if you can do the plum walls while I make a strawberry pie to take along to dinner tonight." Kurt rattled his plans for the day off.

"Sure." Blaine responded. "It's only those two walls right?"

"Mmmhmm" Kurt hummed. "I just want to make sure that this room is done and put together by the time Brittany and Santana get here on Thursday."

"Sounds like a plan to me" Blaine said in agreement.

"I mean everything's in here already." He said motioning to the pile of furniture in the middle of the room, including Elle's dressers, boxes of her clothes, crib, and the spare bed. "We just have arrange it around the room."

"That'll be fun. I can just see you now sitting in the middle of the room on the bed with Elle directing me on where to haul things." Blaine joked, laughing.

"I would never do that!" Kurt huffed. "I'd at least get off the bed when you have to move it" he chuckled.

As soon as they finished Elle's small room they moved downstairs and opened a can of light gray paint. Elle sat in her pack and play in the middle of the living room, that stuff had been pushed out of the way to accommodate.

"Okay, so the light gray gets put on the wall under the stairs, and the wall that adjoins with the dining room." Kurt explained. "It'll run into the kitchen too, but I just want to take it one room at a time." Kurt clarified.

"You got it boss" Blaine consented as he lifted his roller to the wall once more.

It was the middle of the day and Elle's nap time when they finished with the gray paint. Kurt took her upstairs to their room to sleep while Blaine started on the deep plum accent walls, where the entertainment center and bookshelves would go against.

Kurt came back downstairs to start on his pie. He grabbed a cookie off the plate on the kitchen table. "Mrs. Miller seems really nice." He hollered into the living room.

"Yeah, she seems like she's going to be a great neighbor."

"I can't wait for dinner tonight. She seems quite taken with Elle."

"Yeah. I don't think it's just going to be us for dinner though. I think she's introducing us to her family. She said that's who she made the cookies for. They'll probably be there for dinner too."

Kurt laughed. "Yeah, she kind of seems like the kid of lady who would just assume that everybody's comfortable with everything just because she is. I mean look how she reacted to us. She didn't even ask if we'd like to come to dinner, she just told us too."

"Very true" Blaine responded. "I like that about her though."

"Me too," Kurt agreed. "It's very no nonsense."

!

Sarah Miller watched from the front window as Kurt, Blaine, and Elle walked across the lawn toward her house. Blaine was holding Elle's hand as she walked along the grass, helping her to stay upright on the uneven ground. On his other said, and in his other hand was Kurt, who carried a pie in his other. They both looked down at the little girl and laughed as she stumbled and righted herself with the help of her papa.

"Who do they remind you of Eddy?" she said, looking over her shoulder to her husband, who was sitting in an arm chair across the room but could still see out of the window.

"Robert and Andrew" he said with a fond smile, putting his paper in his lap.

"What was that?" came a voice from the kitchen. A man appeared in the living room.

"Nothing dear," Sarah said lightly. "We were talking about you not to you." She said, with no further explanation.

"Only good things I hope." He said before turning and returning to the kitchen.

A knock sounded at the door and Sarah moved from the window to open it. "I'm so glad you boys could make it!" she exclaimed, motioning for them to come into the house. "Come in, come in. Hi Elle," she said bending down to the little girl. "I want you to meet some of my family!" she explained as she took the casserole pan, cookie plate, and pie out of Kurt's hands.

Kurt and Blaine glanced nervously around the living room. Mr. Miller sat in a worn green chair with a small child on his lap. A man and woman sat on the couch across from him.

"Andrew, the company's here dear!" she yelled into the kitchen. "Do you mind?" she asked toward Kurt, as she bent down towards Elle, wanting to hold the child.

Kurt shook his head. "Not at all." He replied.

Mrs. Miller hoisted Elle into her arms. "This is my oldest grandson Ryan," she said putting her hand on the shoulder of the blonde boy sitting on the couch, "and his wife Madelyn" she said indicating the woman Ryan had his arm wrapped around. "They're daughter Jenna, is on Eddy's lap. Oh I'm sorry, Kurt, you haven't met my Eddy. Eddy, Kurt, Kurt, Eddy," she said nodding between the two men. "And this is our son-in-law Andrew" she said as the older man stepped forward to shake both of their hands.

"Everyone, this is Blaine and Kurt and Kurt's daughter Elle" she said bouncing the girl in her arms slightly. "They just moved in next door yesterday and I knew that I simply had to invite them for dinner with us."

There was a chuckle and murmur of consent as Sarah continued. "And it's a good thing I did, you two look absolutely exhausted."

Blaine laughed softly. "We are. We're trying to get at much done as possible before Thursday. We have company coming so we painted Elle's room, which doubles as the guest room this morning and then we did the living room this afternoon. As soon as we get home we want to get all of the furniture arranged in her room."

"You just moved in and you're having people stay over already?" Madelyn asked shocked. "I don't think I let people into our house for at least a month before I had everything perfect." She laughed.

"Yeah, I didn't see the light of day that whole time." Ryan joked. His wife slapped his arm in response.

"Well, Elle's mother and her best friend" he still didn't know what to call Brittany and Santana's relationship, "are coming to visit and say goodbye before they fly out of Columbus on Friday. They're going to school in California." Kurt explained.

"That will be nice" Andrew said, unsure how to approach the topic of these two boys, who looked very young talking casually about the girl's mother leaving for California.

"Come, come" Sarah said, noting the awkward silence that fell on the room. "Let's go eat and we can get to know each other better." she said as she ushered them all to the dining room.

The dinner went amicably with small details about the boys lives being exchanged as well as listening in as Sarah and Eddy were updated on the lives of their family.

"So what brings you two to Columbus" Andrew asked, as coffee and Kurt's strawberry pie was being served in the living room, and the two girls played on the floor together with whatever they could pull out of their diaper bags. "Aren't gay men with musical ability supposed to flock to New York after they graduate" he said with a chuckle at the open jaw look on Blaine's face. "It's certainly what I did."

Kurt's jaw followed Blaine's to the floor, while the rest of the room laughed.

"Yes, I'm gay." He explained, "Which is probably why Sarah wanted you two to come over for dinner so badly. I was once in a very similar situation myself. I fled Maryland for New York as soon as I graduated high school. I worked a bunch of crappy jobs and got into some bad things. I ended up getting Ryan's mother pregnant." He placed a hand on his son's knee. "It was my wake up call. I managed to keep his mother off of drugs and alcohol while she was pregnant, but her body couldn't handle it after everything she'd put it through and she died in child birth. I got a steady job in a mail room, stopped denying who I was and met Robert, Sarah and Eddy's son, when I was twenty-five and Ryan was five." He pointed to a picture of two men and a young boy on the mantle. "Two years later we found out that Robert had HIV. Both Ryan and I were tested and we were safe. We moved back here to Columbus and raised Ryan together for ten years before he passed away in 1996. He fought so hard, for so long." He said, smiling at Ryan, who had a tear threatening to fall. "And he did it for Ryan," Andrew's voice becoming shaky. "He loved him so much, and I think that that's what Sarah wanted you to see. That it doesn't matter if you're not her father, Blaine, or that you didn't adopt her together, as long as you love her, she's yours."

Blaine nodded in understanding as he looked towards Elle a grin creeping onto his features. Kurt grasped his hand and squeezed. He looked at his beautiful boyfriend and smiled.

"We stayed here, even though we weren't technically family."

"Yes you are." Eddy interrupted gruffly.

"We stayed," Andrew persisted, "because there's just so much love in this household, and I'm glad that they're sharing it with you."

"We are too." Kurt said as he continued to hold Blaine's hand. He looked around the room to where Sarah was standing by Eddy's chair. "Thank you, again, very much for being so welcoming."

"It's nothing dear" Sarah said, waving her hand at him.

"So" Madelyn started, "What exactly did bring you guys to Columbus, why not stay in Lima?"

"I'm going to OSU" Blaine said. "I originally picked it because it would be closer to home, closer to Kurt really," he said as he nudged Kurt's shoulder. "But then I just decided that I couldn't be away from either of them."

Kurt beamed at him. "I'm a CNA, I just got a job at the nursing home in the city. I start next week. Elle's going to go to nursery school at Bella's Tiny Tots in two weeks, and we have our work and class schedules worked out to drop her off and pick her up."

"For this semester, at least" Blaine added. "We have an interview on Wednesday for Easton Prep for next year after she turns two."

"Easton Prep?" Ryan questioned. "That's quite the school." Ryan said in an impressed tone.

"Well, we want her to take music classes when she gets a little older and between going to school full time and Kurt working full time it would be hard to schedule them after and around everything. They offer music classes during the day at Easton, so that's really the only reason we want her to go there."

"I'm sorry if I'm being rude here," Ryan began, "but you're two eighteen year olds with a baby. How do you have the money to rent a two bedroom, two stories, two car garage house in Columbus, go to school, and send your kid to Easton?"

"Ryan!" Andrew and Sarah exclaimed at the same time.

"No no, it's fine." Blaine said causally.

"It's Blaine." Kurt said at the same time. "Elle and I have Blaine to thank for everything. We'd still be in Lima in my parent's house with me working two jobs, and my step mom watching Elle if it wasn't for him."

"I'm a trust fund baby." Blaine said simply taking over the explanation. "The traditional Anderson family trust fund leaves me in full control of it as long as I meet the conditions, and I have, so the money's mine and my parents can't touch it. Believe me this isn't the way my father intended me to use it, but I want nothing short everything for our little family."

Kurt tensed slightly at the mention of Blaine's father after what had happened yesterday. Blaine smoothed his thumb over Kurt's knuckles of their conjoined hands.

"My mother always said I was too mature for my age." Blaine said with a laugh.

"You certainly are" Sarah agreed. "You both are."

"We have to be" said Kurt, once again looking at Blaine, and then at Elle who was crawling towards them crying to be held.

**A/N: **So I included all of these OC's because I felt like it was important for Kurt and Blaine to have a place where they could feel safe and have somewhat of a support structure in adult form in Columbus and not just with Burt and Carole in Lima. This family will continue to play small roles in the story.

Also the mention of "early morning shower sex" is because I don't want to up the rating to M or too really write sex scenes but I do want it to be recognized that these boys are 18, living alone, and raising a child, they're going to be sexually active. If it's implied already without saying it let me know so I don't have to worry about it awkwardly fitting in there, cause it reads kind of awkward to me.

Sorry long authors note. Please please please review and tell me what you think. I'd like to make the story as good as possible for all of you reading it! Thanks again for doing so!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** So this is more like another snippet chapter. It's little pieces of what they're first week in Columbus was like. I hope you enjoy this installment, and once again, reviews are much much much appreciated. Enjoy!

Ch 8

Tuesday morning found the boys asleep on top of the covers of the guest bed that had been made last night after all of Elle's furniture had been placed the way Kurt wanted it, and all of the toys, clothes, and everything was put away in its proper place.

Once again Blaine found himself in a strange bed, until he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He could hear Elle crying, but he was in Elle's room so where was she.

"Blaine" Kurt groaned as he rolled over, removing his arm from around Blaine's waist. "I will paint the kitchen all by myself if you go get her." Kurt promised. "You fell asleep while I was still putting away her dresses last night." He complained.

Blaine finally realized that they had laid Elle down on their bed before starting on the work in her room the evening before as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"She wants you though" he said as Elle started a round of "da da da"

"Blaine Anderson. She will be fine with her father. She'll live."

"Technically you're her father too" Blaine sang under his breath as he walked out of the room and into his own.

Elle's cries for her daddy quickly turned in to "pa pa pa" as Blaine entered the room and her eyes locked on him.

"Come on kiddo." He said lifting her into his arms and rubbing her back gently. "Let's get you changed and get some food in you."

!

Elle once again sat in her pack and play, chewing on a set of blocks as her fathers tried to arrange their new home. Kurt, true to his word, was painting the kitchen the same light gray color as the living room, as well as one wall of the dining room. Blaine was busy pushing all of the furniture in the living room into place. He had just finished placing the last of Elle's toys into the toy box that was doubling as a bench on the wall to the right just inside the door when she started to fuss. He sighed deeply and lifted her from her cloth prison, and began to pull some toys out of the chest for her to play with. He moved the pack and play in front of the doorway to the kitchen so she couldn't get into the paint, and started to move his large collection of books from their multiple boxes onto the shelves that framed the entertainment center. Kurt was cracking open the can of yellow paint to finish off the last two walls of the dining room.

!

"Do you want some lunch hun?" Kurt called out over the sounds of Katy Perry that he had playing while he worked.

He heard no response. He put the lid securely back on the paint can and set the dirty rollers and tray outside in the grass. Kurt moved the pack and play out of his way and was about to yell out to Blaine up the stairs when he stopped dead in his tracks. He tip toed silently to the couch and pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of Blaine sleeping soundly on the couch, with Elle napping on top of his chest.

He smiled to himself as he moved the play pen along the wall adjacent to the kitchen. He picked up Elle's toys that were on the floor and placed them inside of it. Then he slowly began to unwrap framed pictures from newspaper and place them on the shelves that Blaine had been placing books on, remembering each one.

There was one of him and Brittany; minutes after Elle had been born with her resting on her mother's chest. There was one of him the first time he had held his daughter in his arms, looking down at her like she was his entire world, and she was. There was a picture of Elle swaddled softly in a white blanket her tiny hand clutching an ear of her bunny as she slept. There was one of Burt and Carole holding the girl and beaming down at her. There were many of him, Blaine, and Elle throughout the past eight months but his favorite was of the three of them, at Elle's birthday party with cake smeared all over their faces. He laughed quietly to himself remembering the day.

He was just pulling the photo album that his parents had given him off of the shelf to look at again when Blaine's phone began to vibrate on the coffee table. He snatched it up quickly and made his way to the kitchen before answering.

"Hello" he said softly.

"Blaine?" came the voice of Clare Anderson.

Kurt glanced around, making sure Blaine and Elle were still sleeping, before opening the sliding glass door and stepping out onto the cement patio.

"No, sorry Mrs. Anderson it's Kurt actually, Blaine's sleeping."

"In the middle of the day?" she asked incredulously.

Kurt chuckled. "We did a lot of unpacking and setting up the downstairs of the house today." He explained. He set the photo album down beside him as he sat on the edge of the patio, grass poking between his toes.

"Oh, well, I wasn't available to talk the other night when he called so I was just calling back to make sure you boys were settled in."

"We are." Kurt said simply. "It's a lot of work, but we just want to get it done as soon as possible. It becomes harder when you've got a little one running around."

"Yes, I'm sure." She hesitated, but Kurt could tell there was more she wanted to say. "Maybe I could come over one day next week, give you two a break?" she asked cautiously.

"Well we don't need a break, but you're more than welcome to come and visit." Kurt said happily.

"Do you think next Wednesday will work?"

"I'll have to have Blaine call you back. I start work on Monday so I won't be around until dinner time. I don't know if he has anything planned for them yet."

"Okay, well Wednesday would be best for me."

Kurt understood. Wednesday was the only day that she could because her husband wouldn't find out about it.

"Okay. I'll tell him you called."

"You take care Kurt."

"I will, Clare, bye bye."

Kurt sighed and placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Why did Blaine's family have to be so complicated? From his father's total lack of acceptance, to his sister urging him to have a 'normal' college experience, to his mother trying to hide her relationship with her own son from his father, he wasn't sure how much he could take.

He shook his head a little to clear his thoughts and picked up the photo album, letting his eyes glance over everyone who loved and accepted them.

Kurt jumped at the sound of, "Hi there neighbor" that came from Mr. Miller. He was standing with his arms folded on the fence around his yard.

Kurt smiled and gave a wave. He stood and moved to his own fence, mimicking Mr. Miller's stance.

"How are you today Mr. Miller?" he asked, across the small strip of grass that separated the fences.

"I'm just fine son." He said. "You boys working hard over there?"

"Not right at the moment." Kurt said laughing. "Blaine and Elle are crashed on the sofa and I'm relaxing out here for a minute before I haul the empty boxes and stuff were storing into the basement."

"Daddy?" a woman's voice sounded from across the Miller's back yard.

"Over here Kitty." Eddy called.

And older woman strode over, carrying a small child in her arms. She pecked her father on the cheek. "Mom said you were out here weeding the flower beds."

"I was, then I thought I'd have a right chat with my neighbor." He turned toward Kurt. "Kurt, I'd like you to meet our oldest, Kathryn, and her granddaughter Kelsey."

Before Kurt knew it he had unlatched the gate on the fence and was inside the Miller's fence.

"Oh my goodness, look how precious she is!" he exclaimed, bringing his hands to his face. "How old is she?" he asked excitedly.

"Just turned four months a week ago." Kathryn said proudly.

"Oh my gosh look at you! You're so much smaller than Elle. I can't believe she was ever this small. It seems like forever ago," he cooed toward the baby. "May I?" he asked holding his arms out.

"Sure" the woman said, slightly confused.

He smiled down at the baby and moved the blanket away where it was brushing at her chin. He looked up at Eddy and his daughter.

"This is how old Elle was when Blaine first met her. My God, it seems so long ago. It's hard to believe it's been it's going to be ten months since then in September. They grow up so fast." He said directing his attention toward Kathryn and then looked back down at Kelsey fondly. "One day you'll blink and she'll be walking."

Kathryn smiled at him. "Yes I seem to have forgotten how fast they grow from when I had my kids. I guess I'm allowed. It's been 23 years." She said laughing.

"Kurt here has a daughter, Elle, shes…"

"Thirteen months," Kurt finished. "She'll be 14 months on September 6th." He felt around his back pockets with one hand, still balancing Kelsey in his other, for his wallet but didn't find it. "I don't have a picture on me. She's sleeping now, but you'll have to meet her sometime."

"I'm sure I will." She confirmed. She took her granddaughter back from Kurt. "I'm going to go visit with Mom some." She said. "It was lovely to have met you Kurt." She smiled at him. She have her father another kiss on the cheek and turned toward the house.

The look on Mr. Miller's face clearly said he wanted to follow his daughter and explain the interaction that just took place, but he didn't want to be rude and leave Kurt standing in his yard.

"I better get a move on with those boxes then." Kurt said, relieving the awkwardness of the moment. "You have a good day Mr. Miller." He said letting himself out of the yard and back into his own.

"You too Kurt." The old man answered.

Kurt sighed to himself as he picked up the photo album to take inside. Why couldn't Blaine's family be like the Millers?

!

"Okay, Mr. Hummel, Mr. Anderson," said a lady with a kind face across the desk, who' from them at Easton Preparatory Nursery School, as she nodded at them in turn, "document's please?"

Kurt pulled several manila folders from his messenger bag.

"Here is our application, with the letter of recommendation" He said handing over the first folder. "In here are all of her parental documents, a copy of her birth certificate, my written and signed authorization for Blaine to make parental decisions, even a copy of her mother's withdrawal of legal guardianship, just in case." He added, handing over a second folder. "Her doctor, and hospital records," he said finally handing over the last folder.

"Very good." She said, seemingly impressed with the organization, as Kurt handed her the clip that had held all of the folders together. "Now, Mr. Hummel, why would you like your daughter to attend Easton Preparatory Nursery School?"

Kurt took a deep breath, and Blaine squeezed his knee. Kurt looked at Elle perched on Blaine's lap and smiled.

"Both Blaine and I were incredibly active in the arts. We would really like for Elle to have a sense of that instilled early on in life. The programs here are incredible, and it we would be hard pressed to match the level of expertise found here with outside lessons. We also have full schedules so it would be very hard to find the time too. We've researched the school fully; we like the progressive style of care, we very much enjoyed the walk through you gave us when we visited in June. We believe that this is really the best place for Elle."

"Well, we've reviewed your financial status," she explained, "and your backgrounds," she said slowly but significantly. "And from what I've heard from you today, and seen from Elizabeth, I think we'd be happy to have her attend Easton next fall."

Kurt and Blaine beamed at each other and stood to hug with Elle in-between them. "Thank you so much, Ms. Peterson." Kurt gushed, thrusting his hand out to clasp hers. "This means so much to us."

"Yes thank you very much." Blaine echoed Kurt's sentiment, reaching out to shake the woman's hand as well.

"Now, information will be sent to you within in the coming months. These forms will have to be filled out and returned to the school no later than their deadlines." She said sternly, but then a smile spread onto her face. "Welcome to Easton gentlemen. I'd just like to say the Elle was a delight and I think she'll fit in very well her next year. I look forward to spending more time with her."

"She's something special." Blaine said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"That she is," agreed Ms. Peterson.

"I'll see you gentlemen in a couple month's to make sure everything is still on track, until then take care." She said, extending her hand to both of them once again.

"You too." They chorused as they left the office.

!

"I can't believe she got in!" Blaine let out loudly once they were safely in his car, headed down the high way. "This calls for celebrating. Are you up for picking out some patio furniture and a swing set?" Blaine asked excitedly.

"You bet I am!" Kurt said. "And this little one deserves a swing set after landing a spot at Easton after her first meeting."

"I know." Blaine sighed with pride. "I still can't believe we got in after one interview and one walk through. I mean we're not even in domestic partnership, and I have no real legal control over her."

"Really Blaine? You can't believe she got it?"

"Ummm no, why?" Blaine asked cautiously, hoping he hadn't said something wrong.

"They checked backgrounds Blaine, do you know what that means?"

"Ummm, no." He said again.

"It means they found out who your family was, that your dad is a hot shot business man and your mother runs the women's charity organization at your country club. That your sister married a lawyer and your brother served his country. You're the reason she got in babe."

"What? No, that's not what I wanted to happen. We don't need their help!"

Kurt placed a comforting hand on Blaine's shoulder trying to keep him calm while on the road.

"Don't worry about it Blaine, I don't mind. After all the grief your father has put you and us through, it's the least he can do. It's almost like spite actually. He is so against this and yet he is fueling it at the same time. Funny don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Blaine said grumpily, sounding strangely like Finn when he was hungry and didn't have his wits about him enough for an argument.

"Just don't think about it. She got in. We should be happy. End of story."

Blaine forgot entirely about his family's involvement in Elle's school as he followed Kurt around Lowes picking out the perfect patio set and swing set, to be delivered to their door the following morning.

!

It was the end of summer, not the middle, so why did it have to be so hot at ten in the morning already, Blaine mused as he helped the truck from Lowes unload everything they had bought yesterday. Elle had been slathered with baby sun screen and was sitting in her play pen in the yard as Kurt painted their bedroom.

The young man who delivered the furniture had not other deliveries until the afternoon, and he graciously offered to help Blaine assemble everything. He was holding one of the support beams for the swing set when he heard a whistle from the Miller yard. Two girls stood at the fence eying the men.

The man from Lowes, Jason, smiled and waved.

"Dude, do you know them?" He asked Blaine, as he fastened the beam with a drill.

Blaine shook his head. "No, we just moved in. They must be my neighbor's granddaughters or something." He explained. He moved on to attaching the swings, while Jason screwed the top of the slide into place.

"They're hot." Jason said simply, glancing over at the girls again.

Blaine shrugged his shoulder. "Man, you might have a kid or whatever," he said looking toward Elle, "but you have to admit they're hot."

Blaine laughed openly at how much this man sounded like Finn. "I really don't mean to offend you or anything, because I recognize that yes they are very pretty, but they aren't really my type."

"No, they're everyone's type." He argued.

"Not if you're gay." Blaine said bluntly.

"Oh sorry, man… I didn't realize…" Jason said, trailing off.

"No big deal." Blaine said simply with a shrug of his shoulders. "Khaki cargo shorts and a Buckeyes t-shirt don't exactly scream gay."

"Yeah… I guess so." Jason replied as the pair stood back and surveyed their work.

"Blaine dear!" came Mrs. Miller's voice from the strip of grass between their yards. "May I come in?"

"Of course, you don't have to ask." He said waving her through. She was carrying glasses and the girls that had been standing at the fence before trailed behind her holding a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of muffins.

"I've seen you boys out here all morning" she said setting the glasses down and plucking Elle out of her play pen. "We brought you some lemonade." She said sweetly. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Jason," Blaine said after handing him a glass of lemonade. "He's from Lowes."

"How nice of you to help!" She said patting his arm.

"Thanks." He said thickly, while trying to catch the girls' eyes, as they whispered and giggled together.

Mrs. Miller must have noticed because she seemed to remember that they were there herself.

"Blaine, I want you to meet my granddaughters. This is Megan and Katie, they belong to my youngest two. Katie's going to be a junior at University of Toledo, and Megan is starting at Youngstown State this semester."

"What are your majors?" Jason asked instantly.

"I'm business" Katie said.

"Early Childhood Education and Special Education" Megan said in quick succession.

"Cool, cool" he said nodding. "I go to Penn State. I play hockey." He added, clearly trying to impress the girls. It seemed to be working. Katie and Megan took a couple steps closer to the boys.

"How about you?" Katie asked of Blaine.

"I start OSU this semester."

"Major?" Megan inquired.

"Umm, biology with a focus in anatomy, with pre med intent."

"What does that even mean?" Katie asked, confusion crossing her face.

"It means that my major is biology with a concentration in anatomy, but that I plan on attending med school after I graduate. It's more prudent not to major in pre med, because a lot of people do and then never go to med school. What would I do with a pre med degree and no med school? It would just be silly."

"How old is your sister?" Megan asked looking toward her grandmother and Elle.

Blaine nearly spat out his lemonade and then began coughing as he glared towards Mrs. Miller.

"She's not my sister." Blaine said finally after calming down, taking Elle from the arms of Mrs. Miller. "She's my boyfriend's daughter. Your grandmother didn't tell you?

"Sorry dear, they just got here. We're going shopping today and I didn't even think."

"It's okay" he said.

"I should probably go." Jason said awkwardly from his position next to Katie.

"Sorry, thanks a lot for all your help man." He said while digging in his back pocket for his wallet with one hand. "Here." He said thrusting two twenties into the man's hand.

"You really don't need to do that." Jason said, holding the money out for Blaine to take back.

"No, keep it. You didn't have to help and you did. I don't know how long I would have been out here without you. Building isn't exactly Kurt's thing unless it's cars."

"Right, well see ya." He said before disappearing out of the gate.

Blaine took a deep breath, glad that the awkwardness that had filled the air since he outed himself to Jason was gone. "Why don't you guys come inside?"

"I'm sorry Blaine." Mrs. Miller said again.

"It's fine, Mrs. Miller, really.

"What's fine?" Kurt asked, appearing in the kitchen.

"Just a misunderstanding." Blaine said. "Kurt, these are Mrs. Miller granddaughters, Katie and Megan. This is my boyfriend Kurt." Blaine moved his head back and forth between the parties.

"It's nice to meet you." Kurt said politely. "We met your Uncle Andrew the other night." He turned to Blaine. "The back yard looks amazing!" He took his daughter out of his boyfriends arms. "Look at your swing set honey!"

Elle just laid her head on Kurt's shoulder. "Aww, you're probably tired from being out in the sun. "Why doesn't Papa put you down for a nap before Mommy get's here? Then he can help Daddy move the bedroom furniture into place" he cooed into the girl hair.

"Come here, angel" Blaine said, cradling Elle to his chest as she let out a yawn in response.

"Oh here!" Mrs. Miller squealed. "I almost forgot. I made muffins for you boys and Elle's mom. I figured you could have them tomorrow for breakfast if they have an early flight."

"Thank you!" Kurt said, taking the plate and setting it on the counter.

"Why are all the good ones gay?" Katie asked, looking through the doorway that Blaine had disappeared through.

"I don't know," Kurt said smiling. "But I'm glad they are."

!

"Where's your mommy?" Kurt asked into Elle's ear, as Brittany and Santana came striding toward them at the bus stop.

Elle pointed in the general direction of Brittany and then clapped her hands.

"Bunny!" Brittany yelled before sprinting across the station towards the trio. "Hi baby girl" she said, lifting her out of Kurt's arms instantly.

"Porcelain, Hobbit," Santana said, nodding at each boy before giving them both kisses on the cheek.

"She does know her name right?" Kurt muttered toward Santana, looking at Brittany and Elle who were leading the way out of the bus station while the other three stood behind.

"I honestly don't know. I've never heard her call her anything but Bunny. But she does recognize who you're talking about when someone else calls her Elle."

"That's good." Blaine said, taking the bag off of Santana's shoulder for her. "Do you guys have anymore bags on the bus?"

"Yeah, you might want to get a cart." Santana said as she watched men pull many bright green suitcases from the lower compartment of the bus.

Blaine stood behind the Navigator unloading the bags that Santana deemed necessary for the girls night long stay.

"Santana? Did that bag just move?" Blaine asked, poking it.

"I think she might have Lord Tubbington packed in there. Better bring that one in too." She said, yanking the bag out of the car.

Kurt and Brittany had already proceeded into the house and were digging toys out of the toy box to take outside with Elle. Blaine took Santana upstairs with the bags.

"We moved the crib out so Elle will be in our room tonight. Bathroom's across the hall, it connects to our room too, so we'll try to keep that door closed. Kurt has towels and everything out for you already." Blaine explained looking around nervously.

"It's weird isn't it?"

"What?" Blaine said dumbly.

"Having Kurt out there with the mother of his child and not you." Sound of giggly laughter crept up through the window.

"No," Blaine said shaking his head, "Kurt and Elle may consider me one of her father's but Brit is Elle's mother. I could never take that away from her, and I would never try to. It's not like Kurt and I used her as a surrogate or adopted her. I want her to have a connection with Brittany. I'm worried that she won't get that with you guys moving so far away."

"Is it weird for you?"

"What?" Santana mimicked Blaine's tone of voice when he had asked the question.

"To have a girlfriend who has a child being rasied by two gay men?"

"First, Brit is not my girlfriend."

Blaine sent her a look that clearly said who do you think you're fooling?

"Whatever Santana" he said aloud.

"Second," she interrupted. "It's not weird, cause it's like Elle's not her daughter but her like her cousin or something that she just goes and plays with sometimes. I don't really ever see her being a parental figure in Elle's life. It's just not who she is."

"Is it weird to love her?"

"Who?" Santana asked?

"Both of them." Blaine said simply.

Happy yells of "Mama mama" drifted through the window, along with Brittany's laugh.

"Sometimes." Santana said quietly, a smile spread on her face, "but not now."

!

"Do you have Lord Tubbington?" Blaine asked Brittany again. After finding the cat wondering around the house the evening before, let out of his suitcase confinement by Santana, Blaine went out and bought him a carry on cage to go on the plane. A live cat going though the carry on scanner would not have gone over well with security.

She picked the cage up off of the floor where Elle was peering in through the holes on the side. "I'll trade you for Bunny." She said sweetly. Blaine held out his hand and accepted the handle of the cage before Brittany scooped up her daughter.

"Mommy's going to miss you." She said to the little girl as they stood in line to have Lord Tubbington put on the plane. "So is Lord Tubbington." She said looking over toward the cat as if waiting for conformation. "Look what me and Auntie Tana got you." Santana pulled a fat black and brown stuffed animal cat out of her purse and handed it to Elle. "It's so you know Lord Tubbington will always be there for you."

"So will I kid." Santana said, running her hand over the girls hair.

"Me too." Brittany said happily.

Elle just beamed happily around at all of the animals in the line.

"Oh, could you please make sure he doesn't watch Jersey Shore?" Brittany asked the attendant. "He's been watching way too much reality television." She explained.

"Okay" Kurt said, drawing out the second syllable. "Give me my baby back." Kurt said jokingly as he pried Elle out of Brittany's arms.

All four stood outside the metal detectors to the terminals. Brittany was once again clutching Elle to her chest. "I love you Bunny." She said, before passing her to Santana.

"I love you too Ellie girl." Santana said, hoping no one noticed the tears forming in her eyes. "You be good for Daddy and Papa." She said. "Mommy will be sure to talk to you on the computer as much as she can." She kissed Elle's forehead and gave her to Kurt.

"Let us know when you land please." Blaine said, wrapping his arm around Kurt.

"We will." Santana assured him.

The girls were just turning to walk away when Kurt stopped them by pulling Brittany into a tight hug with Elle on his arm in the middle of them. Blaine and Santana exchanged knowing glances and joined in the hug.

"We may not look like it but we're a family." Kurt said through his tears. "Brittany I love you, maybe not like I love Blaine, but you are the mother of my child and I will always love you, don't forget that."

"I won't," she said. "I love you too, Kurt."

"You too Santana, you're part of this family now. We love you."

"I love you guys, too." Santana said, finally wiping the tears that were filling her eyes. "We'll Skype as soon as we get a computer set up."

"Thank you." Blaine said, as they all let go and Brittany and Santana broke away, towards the queue.

Kurt turned to walk away but Blaine rested his hand on his arm to stop him.

"Why don't we wait until the flight takes off?" he asked, guiding Kurt towards a bench by the window.

Kurt nodded. "Do you want to watch the plane's fly sweetheart?" Kurt asked Elle. "We're going to watch your Mommy soar away to California. She's going to be an amazing dancer there. She's following her dreams. Don't you worry little girl. You're my dream."

**A/N:** Next chapter will have Blaine's mother visiting and Kurt/Elle/Blaine starting work/day care/school!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Sorry it's been a while. I hope to be able to get one up every weekend now. I lied again, this does not have first days of school for Elle and Kurt as promised, but it didn't seem to fit at the end of this chapter. As always I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading! Reviews are constantly and vehemently appreciated!

Ch 9

"Are you planning on getting up at all today?" Kurt asked, as he pushed Blaine's curls off of his forehead.

Blaine mumbled and rolled over. He grabbed the baby monitor off of the bed side table and waved it in the air. "Not until she does" he groaned, his voice thick with sleep.

"Your mother is coming today." Kurt sang in his ear.

Blaine moaned intelligibly and rolled over before sitting up. As if on cue Elle started making noises, coming through the monitor. Blaine made to walk across the hall when Kurt stopped him.

"She's not crying yet. She's perfectly fine. Go brush your teeth at least." He said, ordering Blaine toward the bathroom.

When Blaine came out of the bathroom now clad in a pair of sweatpants, Kurt was already dressed in lilac scrubs.

"Mmm, I love you in your scrubs," Blaine hummed throatily, as he strode toward Kurt. He fisted both sides of Kurt's shirt in his hands and pulled him in for a searing kiss.

"Blaine, the baby."

"You said it yourself, she's fine for now." Blaine said against Kurt's lips

"Work." Kurt barely got out, as Blaine's lips moved down his neck.

Blaine looked at the clock over Kurt's shoulder. "You have some time." He said, before tugging the sleeve of Kurt's shirt out of the way so he could kiss his collarbone and shoulder. Kurt finally resigned himself and sunk into Blaine as he pulled him even closer by his shirt, wrapping his arms around Blaine's waist and up his bare back to his shoulders. Blaine's hands were under Kurt's shirt about to push it up and off when Elle finally lost interest in keeping herself content and began to cry.

Blaine let out a deep breath and placed his forehead against Kurt's. He didn't remove his hands from under Kurt's shirt until Kurt took a step backwards.

"I'll get her. You get dressed and calm down." He placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek before backing towards the door. "Just try to be down by 8:30, I have to be in slightly early today."

Blaine nodded slowly before coming to his senses; he grabbed Kurt by the elbow and pulled him around and into his arms. He kissed him passionately once more before whispering "I love you" into his ear.

"I love you too." Kurt said back quietly, against his boyfriend's lips.

"See you down stairs." Blaine said, not letting go.

Kurt gave Blaine one last short kiss on the lips before removing himself from his arms and walking across the hall to Elle. Blaine chuckled as he heard Kurt though the monitor before turning it off.

"You ruined something good between your Papa and I just there little one." He scolded jokingly. Blaine heard the rustle of fabric and then the click signaling that the monitor was off. He picked up the speaker from the side of the bed and turned it off as well, before turning around and striding towards the bathroom, turning the shower water on cold.

!

Blaine was seated on the kitchen floor across from Elle, who was standing up at a kitchen chair, banging blocks on its surface. He would build something and then Elle would promptly knock it down with her tiny fist or by hurling another block at it. Another round of blocks has just landed on the floor when the doorbell rang. Blaine quickly dumped a pile of blocks onto the chair for Elle before he ran through the living room to the door.

"Hi Mom!" He exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug. "Bailey! I didn't know you were coming!" He yelled in shock. He let go of his mother, latching onto his sister, and his niece. "Hi there Bry" he said, kissing her cheek.

"How are you darling?" Clare asked.

"I'm good, how are you? Did you find the house alright?"

"Piece of cake" Bailey said, taking in the room. "How's Kurt?"

"He's good. At work right now, he'll be home a little after five."

Clare Anderson walked between the couch and the wall towards the kitchen, running her fingers along the long table full of pictures placed against the wall under the stairs.

"It's clean, Mom. I just dusted yesterday." Blaine said, frustration at the edge of his voice.

"Are you sure you want to be doing this?" Clare said in exasperation.

"What? Dusting? Yeah, I guess so. We don't want the house to get dirty." Blaine said confusion etched across his features.

"No I mean this!" She said, gesturing around the house. A loud banging came from the kitchen signaling that the only block left on the chair was the one Elle held in her hand.

"She means living with Kurt and raising Elle." Bailey clarified. "Do you know what you'd be doing right now if you were still at home?"

"I'd probably be at Kurt's." He said dumbly.

"No," His mother interrupted. "We mean if you weren't with Kurt. If you were in a normal relationship you'd be up at the lake with Wes and David using your new jet ski."

"What do you mean by normal mom? Straight?" Blaine said angrily.

"No, I mean with someone who didn't get a girl pregnant at 16 and is raising their own child." She countered. "You know how we feel about this Blaine." She said sternly.

"Yeah, well apparently neither of you is convinced about how _I_ feel about this. I love Kurt. I love Elle. I wouldn't choose a normal over this." He gestured around the house just as his mother had. "Now I love you both, but I will not allow you to come into my house and criticize the man I love and the way I'm choosing to live under my own roof. If that's what you came here to do, I'm sorry you failed, get back to Westerville."

"I'm sorry darling." Clare said softly. "We just don't really think that you're thinking clearly. But if this is the choice that you've made we'll just have to accept it. Right Bailey?"

His sister nodded. "Sorry, B, I just want to see you as happy as can be."

"I am happy Bail" he said. She nodded again in understanding.

Another loud banging came from the kitchen and the three Anderson's looked in to see that Brylee had joined Elle at her chair and was banging her own block against its wooden surface. They all laughed breaking the tension.

"So what did you have planned for us today?" Clare asked with enthusiasm.

"I thought we'd go out to lunch." He looked at his watch and saw that it was only ten. "Then go to the farmers market and find something to make for dinner, like we used to after…"

He trailed off. He and his mother had always cooked together when they were upset after Blake had passed away. It was their form of comforting each other.

"That sound lovely darling. I thought we'd do some shopping? If she's going to be my granddaughter, I'm going to treat her like an Anderson."

"Sure mom" Blaine said with a smile.

"You'll love it," Bailey said. "So will Kurt. Mom buys the cutest outfits." She explained.

"Just let me go get her dressed." Blaine said, eyeing Elle's shirt that had apple sauce down the front from breakfast. "You can take Bry out on the swing set if you want." He said, jerking his head toward the back yard as he bent down for Elle. He saw a small white haired lady walking across the patio.

"Knock knock" rang out a cheery voice, as the sliding glass door opened.

"Good morning Mrs. Miller" Blaine said happily.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear! I didn't realize you had company. I didn't even look in the driveway before I popped over."

"It's okay Mrs. Miller. This is my mother, Clare Anderson." Clare reached over and offered her hand to the old lady. "And my sister, Bailey, and her daughter, Brylee." Sarah shook Baileys hand as well, before setting the baked good she was carrying on the table and bending down across the chair from Brylee.

"Hi there Brylee," she cooed. "What a lovely name." She stood up again. "However did you come up with it?" She asked looking toward Bailey.

"It's actually funny. Before we found out that she was a girl, my husband was set on Bryer if it was a boy, we didn't really have a girl name picked out. When we found out she was a girl we just changed it to Brylee, and it's reminiscent of Bailey so it works."

"Well, she's just darling." She said with an air of finality. She turned back towards Blaine, and picked the zip lock bag back up off of the table. "I tried a new recipe for zucchini bread this morning, and I didn't realize it would make two loaves. Eddy and I will never be able to eat both of them."

"Thank you, Mrs. Miller." Blaine said, although he didn't believe her story. Monday she had made too many cookies, and on Tuesday it had been muffins. "I'm going to get fat if you keep sneaking these treats over here while Kurt's at work."

"Well you have to share dear! That boy needs some meat on his bones!" She laughed. "Well," she said suddenly clapping her hands together. "I should be going. I'll let you spend time with your family. Bye bye, little Elle." She cooed toward the baby. "It was lovely to meet you both." She said, backing to the door. "Have a wonderful day. See you tomorrow Blaine." And she was gone.

"Well. She certainly is a vibrant woman." Clare said shocked.

"Yup, vibrant's the word." Blaine confirmed. She's been really great since they day we moved in. Can you believe she's seventy-six?"

"Seriously?" Bailey asked. "I hope I'm like that when I'm that old."

Mrs. Anderson nodded her consent.

"Well, you guys can have some bread if you want while I change her and then we can head out. If it's from Mrs. Miller, it's sure to be delicious."

!

All three Anderson's were bustling around the kitchen when Kurt came through the front door.

"Dada dada" Elle called from her place in the play pen with Brylee, wearing matching outfits.

"Hi princess!" he said scooping her up. He picked Brylee up in his other arm and made his way into the kitchen.

"Hi Bailey! I wasn't expecting to see you here today." He said, surprised.

"I just couldn't stay away." She said, kissing his cheek, and taking her daughter from him.

"Hello Mrs. Anderson." He said toward Clare.

"Hi there Kurt," she said, shocking him by giving him a warm hug.

"Something smells good." He commented.

"Eggplant parmesan!" Blaine exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. He thrust a spoon full of sauce at Kurt's mouth.

"Delicious, honey. Let me just change and I'll be right back down to help." He walked back through the living room and up the stairs carting Elle with him as he went. "And how was your day sweetheart?" Blaine heard him ask as he exited.

Dinner was an amicable affair with everyone chatting, and Kurt regaling the Anderson's with tales of work and the eccentric patients.

"Mrs. Clarkson is convinced that I am going to marry her granddaughter. The head nurse on duty told me today that her granddaughter is 30 and has her own children."

Everyone laughed and the babies let out small shrieks of laughter to mimic the adults. It was almost just like a normal family dinner until Mrs. Anderson stood up to leave before desert.

"Well it's getting late, we better get going." Kurt glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was 6:30. Translation, if we stay any later Mr. Anderson will get suspicious of where I was.

"Yeah, okay." Blaine said gently, looking at Kurt with sad eyes. "I'll walk you out."

He pushed his chair back from the table and stood. He wiped Brylee's face and hands with a napkin before picking her up out of her high chair.

"Bye bye sweetheart." Kurt said, tickling her belly with a finger.

"See ya Kurtie Pie," Bailey whispered into Kurt's ear as she wrapped him in a hug.

"Bye Kurt," Mrs. Anderson said standing, extending her hand for him to shake.

"Goodbye Mrs. Anderson" Kurt said politely, before the Andersons disappeared into the living room.

!

"Love ya, Bee Bee" Blaine said with a smile on his face, referring to both mother and daughter.

"Love you too Bee." Bailey said back with an equally wide smile. "We'll get out again soon." She assured him.

"Bye Mom" Blaine said, hugging her. "It was really good to see you."

"You too, darling." Clare placed a hand on her son's cheek. "Do think about what I said earlier darling." She said glancing into the kitchen where Kurt was wiping Elle's face.

"No, Mom" he said quietly, shaking his face into her hand. "I won't." He said more definitively. "Goodbye."

When he entered the kitchen again it was to find Kurt at the sink washing dishes. He dropped a kiss on the top of Elle's head as he strode towards his boyfriend. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist from behind and kissed the back of his neck before dropping his head slightly to let his forehead rest against it.

"You know I love you, right babe?" He whispered into Kurt's neck.

"Yeah." He whispered back, not stopping the tear that ran down his cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I know."

"You know as much as I like you in scrubs, I love you in my clothes" Blaine said his voice getting slightly deeper tugging at the cream colored Henley Kurt was wearing under his vest.

Kurt snorted a small giggle. "Not exactly the best day at work. It's comfy." He said defensively.

"I'm really not complaining." Blaine said, kissing Kurt's neck again. "How about we get the baby in the tub and bed and then we relax and you can tell me all about it." He said, peppering Kurt's neck with kisses, and tugging slightly at the neck of the shirt so he could kiss his shoulder.

Kurt finally turned around in Blaine's arms and kissed him before looking up at him.

"Oh babe." Blaine sighed. He lifted his thumbs to Kurt's cheeks to wipe away his tears. He held Kurt against him tightly.

"I mean, I know I don't know what she said earlier but Blaine, I know what she said earlier." Kurt said through slowly falling tears.

"You're my family now. You and Elle. I love you both. Never forget that."

Kurt nodded into Blaine's chest.

"Do you really believe me Kurt?"

Kurt nodded again. Blaine pulled Kurt's head off of his chest and up to look at him. "I love you Kurt. I love you and I love Elle. I am not going anywhere. I know I've never told you this before but I fully intend on marrying you and adopting Elle."

Fresh tears filled Kurt's eyes. "Really?" He asked, an uncertain smile spreading across his face.

"Really. You don't have anything to worry about."

"I love you, Blaine."

"I love you too, Kurt"

Elle babbled from her seat, no longer content with playing with the towel Kurt had used to wipe her face.

"Papa loves you too, Elle" Blaine said.

"Do does Daddy." Kurt echoed.

Blaine switched on the radio sitting on the counter before lifting Elle out of her seat. He walked over to Kurt and wrapped an arm around him, holding Elle between them and all three began to twirl around the kitchen, dancing just because they could.

**A/N:** So I super promise now, because I gave you a short chapter, that Blaine and Elle will have their first days of school in the (nick and long) next chapter! Thanks again for reading, please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I know it's the very end of the weekend but, it still counts. As promised, Elle and Blaine start school and an interesting surprise awaits Blaine. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Thank you soooo much for reading. As always I absolutely adore reviews as much as I adore Kurt and Blaine, and will be as excited to read them as I am for season 3 on Tuedsay!

Ch 10

"Jeggings Blaine, really? You're putting jeggings on our daughter." Kurt said, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend who was dressing his daughter.

A small smile played on Blaine's lips. Ever since he had expressed his intent to adopt Elle, Kurt had been calling Elle 'our daughter' instead of 'my daughter.'

"What? They're all the rage. Mom bought a couple of pairs for her and Bry last week." He said. "I thought they'd be really comfortable for her and easy for the ladies at the nursery to work with." He defended. "Besides. She looks adorable." He said standing her up.

Blaine saw Kurt's eyes soften when he saw how cute the little girl looked in her dark blue jeggings and pink flowered tank top that came to the top of her knees and pink sandals.

"Aww, look at you baby girl! You look so beautiful for your first day of daycare!" He walked over to the pair and kissed Blaine quickly on the lips as he lifted Elle into his arms. "Do you have everything in the bag babe?"

"Bun bun" Elle shrieked, snatching her pink bunny from one of the side pockets of the diaper bag.

"Yes Ellie," Blaine said, "we have Bun-Bun and Tub-Tub" he said, holding up the stuffed likeness of Lord Tubbington before placing it back in the bag.

Kurt laughed at the little girl. "She's a bossy little thing isn't she?"

"You don't know the half of it. You've been at work all day since she started her new words. All day it's 'Papa, up! Papa, down!' and she's too freakin' adorable to resist."

Kurt laughed again. "Do you boss your Papa around? You must take after Daddy." He said.

Blaine stuck his tongue out at him.

"Come one, we're gonna be late if we don't get moving." Blaine said, hefting the diaper bag over his shoulder.

!

As soon as Kurt set Elle down at Bella's Tiny Tots she ran over to another little girl standing up at a kitchen set.

"Well so much for being Daddy's little girl." Kurt snorted, while Blaine laughed.

"Hi, guys!" A friendly voice sounded. "It's good to see you again."

Blaine stretched his arm out to shake the woman's hand. "It's nice to see you again too, Grace."

"Elle looks like she's having fun with Amelia already." She said. "There's a cubby with Elle's name on it over there," she said pointing. "You can put her diaper bag in there and at the end of the day if there's anything that needs to be sent home it'll be in there too."

Kurt and Blaine stood nodding at Grace.

"Great," Kurt said. "Blaine will be here at 4:00 to pick her up on Monday, Wednesdays and Friday and I'll be picking her up just after 5:00 on Tuesday's and Thursdays."

"Okay" Grace said, still smiling. "Just remember if anyone is going to be picking her up we need to be notified and they need I.D. on them."

"Okay, that's no problem." Kurt said.

"Well," Grace clapped her hands together. "I think that's all I need from you guys. Blaine I'll see you at 4:00. Kurt, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Bye bye, Elle." Kurt said sweetly, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Have fun Ellie girl," Blaine said, dropping to his knees and kissing her cheek. "Papa, will be back this afternoon."

"Love you baby girl."

"Love you sweetheart."

Both boys backed out of the door waving to Elle, as she blew kisses at them from her spot at the kitchen set with a little brunette girl.

"What are you going to do today babe?" Kurt asked as they walked to their cars.

"I was going to go by the book store on campus and get my books for the semester. Then I'll just be at home all day reading in case something happens with Elle."

"You are such a teacher's pet." Kurt teased.

"Hey, the more I can get done now, the more time I'll have to spend with you and Elle once school starts."

"I know babe." Kurt settled. He pecked Blaine on the lips, as they reached their cars. "Have fun, I love you."

"Love you too. Have a good day at work."

Kurt snorted as he got into his car.

!

Elle's first week at the daycare center went without incident and soon all three of them were waking up early to get ready for the day when their lives as a family working a full time job, attending school full time, and having a baby in daycare would fall into place. Blaine carried Elle out to Kurt's car and buckled her into her seat.

"Have a good day, angel" he said, kissing her forehead. She blew a kiss at him as he ducked out of the back seat.

Blaine blew her a kiss back and turned to close the door, putting him face to face with Kurt. He placed a hand on Kurt's waist and kissed him gently. "Have a good day beautiful." He said.

Kurt kissed him again. "You too, I hope all you're classes go well. Unless that is you've done all of the work for the ones you had a syllabus for Prep School." Kurt said, using the nick name he had been making fun of Blaine with all week for working and reading ahead for classes in which a professor had emailed him a syllabus to print out.

"I'll only have more time to spend with you darling." Blaine mocked, as he wrapped Kurt in a hug.

"Love you" Kurt said pulling away and pecking him on the lips once more.

"Love you too." Blaine said, before turning away and walking to his car.

!

Blaine was the first person in his Advanced Algebra class and he placed himself in the first row. Not long after a small girl with short blonde hair joined him and plopped down in the seat next to him.

"Hi there." She said, much too brightly for nine in the morning.

"Hi." Blaine said cautiously.

"I'm Cassie." She said, "I always make it a point to say hi to the person I sit next to on the first day, so hi."

"Blaine" he responded extending his hand.

"Oooh, a gentlemen. I could get used to you Blaine."

Blaine chuckled. "So you're not a freshmen, I take it, if this has become a habit of yours?"

"Sophomore." She replied, removing a notebook from her bag. "You?"

"Freshmen." He responded. "First class of the semester."

"Advanced Algebra. Fun." Cassie said sarcastically.

Blaine shrugged. "I don't mind so much. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Okay new kid." She said unbelievingly.

More students began to pile in around them followed by the professor. Syllabuses were handed out and to everyone's dismay instead of just reviewing the syllabus and dismissing the class he began a lesson complete with homework, and a hinted at pop quiz for Wednesday's class.

"This sucks." Cassie moaned as she pushed through the door, dragging Blaine behind her. "It's the first day and I already don't understand what the heck is going on."

"I can help you." Blaine offered, finally looking up from trying to shove books into his messenger bag while being tugged along by the short girl.

"You get this stuff?" She asked, stopping and raising an eyebrow.

Blaine nodded.

"You don't have anything else to do?"

Blaine shook his head. "I was just going to work on this homework actually."

"Library, now, gentleman dude." Cassie said forcefully.

Blaine chuckled as he allowed himself to be dragged into the library, and sat down at a table. She pulled out her books and stared at him, as he dug through his bag.

"So how is it you know all this stuff so easily freshman?"

He paused with a granola bar halfway to his mouth and shrugged. "I took AP Calculus in my senior year of high school." He said dumbly.

"Then why aren't you in Calculus?" she countered.

Blaine shrugged. "The AP test only counts for one credit. Even with a placement test I would have to take a certain number of credits for math. So I took the credit for the lowest level and started at Advanced Algebra instead of Calculus, where I probably would have been placed."

"Smart thinking… What's your last name?"

"Anderson."

"Smart thinking, Anderson. I think I like you."

"I'm glad." Blaine replied, smiling. He dug around in his bag once again. "Would you like a cookie?" He asked, offering her a plastic bag of cookies.

"Who are you, Hermione Granger? Do you have an undetectable extension charm on that bag of yours?"

Blaine blinked his eyes in awe.

"Sorry, drop the reference and ignore me. I'm a huge HP nerd."

"No, I get it. I've just never met anyone who would actually know enough about Harry Potter to make that joke."

Cassie smiled sheepishly. "So, Potter boy, what's with all the food?"

"Oh, I'm a guy, and I commute so I don't have a meal plan, and my boyfriend packed my lunch today and he just wanted to make sure I didn't go hungry."

"Boyfriend."

Blaine nodded cautiously.

"You're a freshman, and you live off campus with your boyfriend?"

Again, Blaine nodded.

"That's so cool! I wish my parents would have let me live off campus with someone when I was a freshman."

Blaine let out a sigh, and decided to let the parents thing go for now. If his calculations were correct he had just made a friend, he wasn't going to unload all of his parental issues on her. He just nodded.

"Kind of." He said quietly. He pulled the lunch bag out of his book bag. "So I can offer you, this granola bar" he said holding up the granola he had unwrapped earlier, "cookies, an apple, grapes, yogurt, a sandwich, baked garlic parmesan pita chips, or a teething ring." He said, pulling everything out.

Cassie laughed at his last item.

"Oh sorry, Kurt was packing his daughters diaper bag too. I wonder if she got my spoon for the yogurt." Blaine mused.

"Daughter?"

Blaine cleared his throat so he would have time to say something. "Kurt, my boyfriend," he said slowly, "he has a fourteen month old daughter. We all live together, and I help take care of her."

Cassie was nodding slowly, obviously trying to comprehend the situation. Blaine dug into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. He removed a picture from it and slid it across the table.

"That's her," he said, not being able to help the smile that spread across his face when he looked at the precious little girl. "Her name is Elle. And that's Kurt." It was a picture of Kurt and Elle both covered in cake from her party. "I love them both more than I can possibly imagine." There was no point in not being completely honest with this girl.

"She's really cute." Cassie said smiling slightly. "So is he" she added.

Blaine's smile got even wider. "You don't mind?"

"Good gosh no! Of course I don't mind." She said nudging his shoulder with his. "You're one interesting dude, Blaine Anderson."

!

He and Cassie ate lunch together after his 11:00 class and worked on more homework together. They made plans, or rather she told him to meet her for lunch at 11:00 the next day before Blaine headed to his last two classes of the day. His biology lab went off without a hitch and soon he found himself sitting in a literature class, begging for it to be over before it started so he could pick up Elle. He had already printed out the syllabus for this class. He had read all of the novels they would be doing during the semester and had completed the first weeks reading from the anthology. He had just opened his anthology to the next reading when a tall slender woman swept through the door.

"Okay everybody" her voice filled the room. "I know that this is a freshmen English class but you are not going to get treated any differently than my English majors. So, please put your desks in a circle." She directed.

The woman arranged a variety of folders on the desk and then proceeded to sit on the front of it, dragging a chair to put her feet on. She waited until everyone had wedged their chairs into the circle before talking again.

"I am Dr. Reed and this is American Lit. Did anyone not print out the syllabus that I sent around?"

A couple of hands rose throughout the room and she handed stacks of papers to be passed around to them.

"So," she slapped her hands on her lap. "Before we go through the syllabus I'm just want everybody to go around the circle and say their name, your year, major, and something interesting about themselves. You start to get to know each other, and I don't have to take attendance like a high school teacher."

A few people went before Blaine but soon he was up. "Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson, I'm a freshman biology major, and I guess something interesting about me would be that I used to be the lead singer of an a cappella group at my high school."

"Blaine Anderson." Dr. Reed muttered. "Why do you look familiar?"

"I don't know ma'am."

"Do you live around here?"

"I commute, yes, from about ten minutes west of here."

"Hmm, maybe I've seen you at the grocery store." She mused. "Okay, moving on. You." She said pointing her pen at the person next to Blaine.

The rest of the room went around the circle introducing themselves until it came back around to Dr. Reed. She clapped her hands together and rubbed them lightly.

"Well, I guess it's my turn. I am Dr. Melissa Reed. I graduated from OSU with a bachelors in English, got my masters in Education and then ended up at Temple in Pennsylvania to get my Doctorate in American Literature. My dissertation was on Hawthorne. It was also where I met my husband, before I moved back here to teach. I have a daughter 16 months old, so if you see me checking my phone it's because I need to end class on time to pick her up from daycare. I never know whether I'm saying too little or too much about myself so if you have any questions feel free to ask. My office hours are on the syllabus feel free to come anytime. If they don't suit you shoot me an email and we'll figure out a time to meet." She paused for a moment. "No questions? Okay, onto the syllabus."

Class went to the last possible minute talking about a short story that had been handed out. Blaine practically jumped out of his chair, before returning it to his row and bolting out the door. After being with Elle all day every day for a week he missed her like crazy.

"Look who's here Ellie!" Grace said, from her spot on the floor where she was playing blocks with Elle and the little girl she had been playing with that first morning.

"Papa!" Elle cried. She pushed herself up on her legs and ran towards him. He scooped her up when she got close enough and blew a raspberry on her cheek. She giggled loudly and put her hands on his face pushing him away. Blaine started slightly and almost tripped. He looked down to find the other little girl with her arms wrapped around his legs.

"You can't go home with Elle, Mia." Grace chided, peeling the girl off of his leg. "They've been chasing each other around and playing all day." She explained.

"Did you have fun with Mia?" He asked sweetly, as Elle continued to laugh.

"She had a good nap this afternoon." Grace informed him, as he pulled Elle's diaper bag from her cubby. "She got a little fussy from her teeth this afternoon, but the teething ring wasn't in its usual pocket."

"Let me guess, a spoon?"

"Yeah," Grace said laughing.

"I got her teething ring in my lunch."

They laughed as Blaine maneuvered through children to find Elle's stuffed animals on the floor.

"Look who's here Mia!" Grace said, in the excited tone she had used with Elle. She set the little girl down and she went running towards the woman who had just entered the door. Blaine stood up from shoving Tub-Tub in the bag and handing Elle Bun-Bun and came face to face with Dr. Reed holding Amelia.

"Mr. Anderson, I guess I figured out where I recognized you from." She said politely.

"Hi, Dr. Reed," He said slowly. "Say bye bye to Mia sweetheart" he told Elle. She waved and blew kisses as they walked past the pair. "See you Wednesday Dr. Reed."

"See you Wednesday Mr. Anderson."

!

Blaine's phone rang as he walked through the door and set Elle's diaper bag by the stairs, and Elle ran straight to her blocks.

"Hello"

"Hey kid" the gruff voice of Burt Hummel said.

"Hi Burt!" Blaine said brightly.

"How was the first day of classes?"

"It was really good."

"That's great"

"How about Finn?"

"I don't know, he's not home yet. Football practice. Look Carole and I were thinking that the three of us could come out and have dinner Friday night. We haven't seen you guys since you moved out."

"I have to check with Kurt but it sounds good to me. Elle misses her grandma and grandpa. I'll have him call you back when he gets home from work."

"Thanks kid. You give my Ellie girl and kiss for me."

"You got it Burt."

"Bye kid."

"Bye Burt."

!

"Honey I'm home!" Kurt yelled out in a high pitched voice.

"Dada!" Came an equally high pitched squeal from the kitchen and soon his daughter was pushed against his leg arms raised to be held. "Dada up!" She demanded.

"Hi baby girl." Kurt said, lifting her up and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Did you have fun at daycare today? Did you play with Mia?"

"Hey babe." Blaine said, striding through the kitchen door. He placed a kiss on Kurt's cheek and slid his bag off of his boyfriends shoulder. "Guess who Mia's mom is?"

"Ummm, I don't know. Her aunt or someone is always picking her up when I get Elle."

"Melissa Reed."

"I'm sorry, should I know her?"

"She's my American Lit professor." Blaine explained. "She picks up Amelia at 4:00 right after the class that I have with her ends."

"Awkward" Kurt sang out.

"Definitely." Blaine agreed. "I had no idea what to say to her. Just another teenage dad, picking up his daughter from daycare." He said too casually.

Kurt laughed. "I'm sure it's fine hun. If it gets too awkward talk to her about it."

"Cause that'll make it so less awkward." Blaine countered.

"Just keep an open mind please. Elle and Amelia really seem to like playing together. It's good that she's making bonds this young."

"Okay, okay" Blaine said holding his hands up in surrender.

"Thank you baby" Kurt replied, gratefully, kissing Blaine. "Did you start the chicken and green bean casserole? Mrs. Miller mentioned that Eddy had a late afternoon doctor's appointment when we talked yesterday and I thought it would be nice if they didn't have to make dinner when they got home."

"It's got five more minutes left in the oven"

"Great. Let me just change out of this, and I'll get her changed as well." He said holding Elle up and smelling her bottom. "No stinkies," he said rubbing his nose into her belly, "but you're probably wet!"

Elle shrieked with laughter, as Kurt carted her up the stairs.

Blaine chuckled along with Elle as he went back into the kitchen to stir his hollandaise sauce for the chicken.

!

His three classes on Tuesday went without incident and soon Blaine found himself sitting uncomfortably in a circle of desks in Dr. Reed's classroom.

"Okay, we're going to keep playing the interesting game until I learn all of your names. So, name and something interesting you did this summer."

Blaine wracked his brain. Everything he had done that summer had had to do with Kurt and Elle. Now he understood how Kurt had felt at Dalton. He wasn't ashamed of his boyfriend and daughter but it didn't feel like something that everyone in this class had to know.

"Blaine?" He heard Dr. Reed question. "At least I've got your name down. I guess it pays to be the first on the attendance list."

"Umm, hi again. I'm Blaine and something interesting I did this summer was going to the zoo with my sister and my niece." He wasn't lying, he just hadn't mentioned that Kurt and Elle had been along too. It just felt weird telling a half truth. He took a deep breath. Kurt was right, he was just going to have to talk to her.

After class Blaine took his time packing up his things until he was the only one left in the classroom. He approached the desk slowly.

"I know we both have somewhere to be, but I was wondering if I could come see you at your office hours tomorrow? At 11:00?"

"Sure, Mr. Anderson. I think that's a good idea."

!

Blaine steeled himself before entering Dr. Reed's office, two cups of coffee clutched in his hands.

"Hi," he said nervously. "I brought you coffee." He said, offering it to her.

She took it with a smile. "You can close the door if you like." She suggested.

"Yeah, that may be a good idea." Blaine said. He set his coffee on the desk and wiped his palms on his pants before closing the door. He sat down slowly on the chair opposite the desk, and took a long sip of his coffee.

"So, Blaine, what was it you wanted to talk about."

"Okay" Blaine blew out a breath. Maybe Kurt was right and it was better to just blurt it all out. "Elle and Amelia seem to have this friendship, and your Mia's mother and my professor so I thought that maybe we should talk so this whole thing is less awkward, for me at least. I don't know if it's weird for you at all."

"A little weird, yes." She confirmed.

"Okay, good. I mean not good that it's weird, but good that I'm not alone in this. So I guess the first thing you should know is that Elle is not my daughter. She's my boyfriend's daughter. I'm gay." He rubbed his hands on his jeans once again. "We live together, just outside the city. I guess I wanted to come and talk today because the 'get to know you' questions that you open class with make me uncomfortable. All my answers have to do with Kurt and Elle, Kurt's Elle's dad, and it's not exactly something that I want the entire class to know about. Not that I'm ashamed, I just, it's just, Kurt and I, we haven't had the easiest time of it. I just don't want people judging me, or Kurt, or Elle, or the way I live my life." Blaine looked down at his hands in his lap.

Dr. Reed was nodding. "I understand."

His head snapped up.

"You seem like you're not in the easiest of situations, Mr. Anderson. You're a freshman right?"

Blaine nodded.

"So you're going to school full time and helping your boyfriend raise his daughter?"

He nodded again.

"Well Elle seems like a lovely little girl and she and Amelia get along so well for children their age so you must be doing something right."

Blaine's face burst into a smile. "She's something alright." He said, already he was digging in his wallet for a picture. "That's Kurt, he said that Mia's aunt is usually picking her up when he gets Elle at 5:00 on Tuesday's and Thursday's."

"My sister yeah, I'm here until 6:00, oh gosh they're so adorable."

"Aren't they? If something ever comes up and you ever need someone to get her she's always welcome at our house until you can pick her up."

"Thanks Mr. Anderson, I'll keep that in mind."

"I think you can still call me Blaine when we're talking about our daughters. You call me Blaine in class."

"Okay Blaine, and maybe you should call me Melissa when we're talking about the girls. I'm not really Dr. Reed to any of my friends."

"Okay, Melissa" Blaine said cautiously, the name sounding foreign and wrong on his tongue.

"You'll get used to it." She said, laughing slightly. "How about we set up a play date this weekend?"

"Sure!" Blaine said enthusiastically. "There's a great playground about block from our house."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah" Blaine nodded. He looked at his watch. "I have to get to class but I'll come in Thursday at 11:00 to figure out the details?"

"That sounds good. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Blaine smiled on his way out of the door. He had just made his first parental friend, and had scheduled a play date for Elle. She would be so excited to spend the day with Amelia. He pulled out his phone to leave Kurt a voicemail.

"Baby, you'll never guess what happened…"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **So I found some continuity issues in the past couple chapters (just trying to give you the real Glee experience haha), and I thought I'd clear them up. So, somehow I had Blaine talk to Dr. Reed on a Thursday and then had him say he would come in Thursday to sort out the detail of the weekend. Let's just say that he came in Thursday of the next week, and that the boys went out with Burt the second week of school, not the first. Okay, everyone good? Great.

I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It's some much needed fluff and cotton candy goodness. As always, reviews are the most amazing thing in the world (as beautiful as Darren's arms when singing 'Something's Coming' on the last episode). Enjoy!

Ch 11

"Blaine, baby, we should go to bed. It's been a really long day."

Both boys were seated on the couch. Blaine's feet were propped up on the coffee table and his computer rested in his lap. He looked at its clock. 10:00. They had put Elle to bed two hours ago and he had been working on a reading response ever since while Kurt watched a Toddlers in Tiara's marathon. He rubbed at his eyes. When did he get so old?

"Just one more paragraph and then I'm done with my response for Dr. Reed." He said triumphantly. "Then we can go to bed."

Kurt groaned and laid his head on the arm of the sofa, stretching his feet out so they landed on top of Blaine's keyboard. He laughed softly and simply placed his computer on top of Kurt's feet to finish his last statements. He clicked print and he could hear the whir of the wireless printer from their bedroom, and hoped against all hope that it wouldn't wake Elle. When no sound came from her room he closed the computer and set it on the coffee table. He turned and laid his body so his cheek rested against Kurt's hip.

"Bed time." He mumbled.

"You have to get off of me first." Kurt commented.

"Too tired." Blaine only half joked, locking his eyes on the television. "Oh my god. I can't believe what they dress those little girls up in!" Blaine exclaimed.

"I know!" Kurt agreed. "It's terrible but it's so addictive. I swear to god I could watch anything on TLC." He said guiltily.

Blaine laughed into his boyfriends hip and scooted up a little so his head now lay on Kurt's stomach, and wrapped his arms around him. "You're so comfy." He said, his eyelids drooping.

It was 1:04 when Kurt's eyes fluttered open as the paid programming began on the television.

"I'm gay and even I think that's gay." Kurt muttered, his voice thick with sleep as he watched the large arm of a black man manipulate a shake weight.

"Wha's that babe?" Blaine groaned, having been shaken from his own sleep by Kurt's movements.

"That's gay." Kurt said, pointing at the screen.

Blaine forced his eyes to focus and then burst out laughing. "Kind of get's ya thinking though doesn't it?" He asked Kurt cheekily, sitting up, elbowing him and winking.

"Oh my goodness. Blaine Anderson! How old are you?"

"I'm an eighteen year old boy! What do you think I'm thinking about when I'm sitting next to my gorgeous boyfriend?"

"I would have no idea what on earth you'd be thinking about." Kurt said innocently.

"Maybe you could try and guess." Blaine said steamily leaning down on top of Kurt, pulling him into a searing kiss.

!

Blaine work up just before Kurt's alarm the next morning and reached over his sleeping boyfriend to turn it off. He'd get Elle up and let Kurt sleep in a little bit. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of Kurt's head, his hair still damp from their shower they took at two in the morning. He smiled at the memory.

He switched off the baby monitor off as he entered Elle's room. She was sitting up in her crib looking up at Blaine with wide blue eyes that looked so like the sleeping boy's in the next room. Even though he was still groggy with sleep he couldn't help but smile at the little girl who had become so like his own.

"Good morning sunshine." He sang at her.

She stood up at the bars of her crib and babbled at him. He walked over and picked her up, cradling her to his chest. He kissed her gently on the top of her head, before going downstairs to make breakfast. He didn't put her down as he maneuvered around the kitchen making wheat flour pancakes. At this moment he just could not and did not want to put down this precious thing in his arms. He put the pancakes to keep warm in the oven and he traipsed back up the stairs, Elle still on his hip.

He set her on the bed. "Say good morning to Daddy, Ellie."

She giggled happily and crawled over top of Kurt. Kurt groaned lazily and rolled over, causing Elle of fall on his stomach.

"Morning sweetheart." He said, his voice thick with sleep wrapping his arms around his daughter. His eyes focused on Blaine. "What are you doing up babe?"

"I made breakfast." Blaine said happily. "Wheat pancakes! So come on sleepy head. I already let you sleep in. Time to get up."

Kurt lifted Elle straight up off his chest and Blaine reached out to take her, pulling her to his chest again and bouncing her a little.

"Are you at least excited about Papa's pancakes, Elle?" She giggled in response. "See, she's happy. You should be too. Up and at em." He said, yanking the covers off of Kurt before leaving the room and going back downstairs.

He was feeding Elle, little bits of pancake when Kurt came down, already dressed in his scrubs and immediately poured himself a cup of coffee. He kissed Blaine swiftly on the lips before sitting down and helping himself to the pancakes in the middle of the table.

"Mmmm" Kurt hummed around his fork. "These are good baby. Thank you."

"You are very welcome sir. But I'm sorry you're going to have to eat alone. You took so long getting ready that now I have to go get Elle ready if we want to be on time."

"Sorry hun." Kurt said guiltily.

"Not a problem. Here." He said, thrusting the latest Vouge issue that had come this morning under his nose. "You just enjoy your pancakes." He kissed the top of Kurt's head as he walked behind him to removed Elle from her high chair.

"Don't forget your Dad and Mom are picking Elle up from daycare today, make sure you let Grace know when you drop her off."

!

"So you boys have really gotten into the swing of thing?" Burt asked, clapping Blaine on the back.

"I'd say so; we've successfully survived two weeks of school, daycare, and work." Blaine replied, looking up from his menu.

Next to him Finn was playing peek-a-boo, and Blaine smiled at them fondly, and then looked at Kurt who was doing the same thing.

"Yeah, we're doing really well Dad." Kurt said, backing Blaine up.

"That's so good, boys." Carole gushed. "That daycare just looked lovely! That little girl Amelia was such a doll!"

"Oh yeah, Elle loves Mia." Kurt commented. "They have a play date tomorrow. We're going to the park."

"You can use our present then!" Finn said happily.

Kurt cocked his head. He had only been at home long enough to change before they had left for dinner. "Present?"

"We got Elle a wagon!" Finn exclaimed. "It's wooden, and red, and so cool. It's just like the one I had when I was a kid!"

"It's actually really cool, Kurt. We were pulling her up and down the driveway with it and she loves it. It'll be perfect for her and Mia tomorrow."

"You guys really need to stop spoiling her." Kurt said.

"It's perfectly okay for me to spoil my granddaughter at this age." Burt said, the finality in his tone ended the subject.

"So Finn how's football?" Kurt asked, changing the subject.

"It's so awesome!" Finn exclaimed. "There were coaches from OSU at our first game and they said they want to bring me up to the main campus next season. Full sports scholarship! I'd only have to pay for housing and meals. How awesome is that? We could hang out like all the time!"

"That's amazing Finn!" Blaine almost yelled in the crowded restaurant. Elle shrieked in excitement at all the noise. "Do you think you'll be ready to transfer by next year?" He asked more seriously, remembering their conversation on the day they moved in.

"I think so. I mean as long as I'm playing football I'm good. They offered one to Puck too. They said they like the way we work together."

"I'm really proud of you Finn." Kurt said. "You'll always have a place at our house to do laundry, but I think we're going to have to limit the times you come over for dinner or you'll eat us out of house and home."

!

"Hi!" Kurt gushed as he opened the door. "It's so good to finally meet you!" He said ushering Melissa and Elle into the house. "Hi Amelia!" He said, turning his attention to the baby.

"Hi" she said brightly.

"Blaine's in the kitchen with Elle." He said, beckoning them along the mock hallway that the back of the couch created with the wall.

Melissa paused at the long table against the wall that held their mail, a bowl for keys, and many family pictures.

"Is, is that… I'm sorry if this is rude. Is that Elle's mother?" Melissa asked, holding up a picture of Elle and Brittany.

"Yeah, that's Brittany." Kurt explained, taking the picture from her hands and looking at it fondly. "She has her smile."

"Not uh," Blaine protested, bounding up to Kurt, Elle running behind him. "She has your smile cause she only has a couple teeth, and you can't see your teeth when you smile either." He teased, smirking at his boyfriend.

"You love my smile Blaine Anderson" Kurt shot back.

"That I do." Blaine admitted. "Hi Melissa!" He said, before prying her daughter from her arms. "Hi Miss Mia. Are you ready for a fun day at the park with Little Miss Elle?"

"Hi!" Amelia said back at him.

"Hi!" Elle chimed from where she was holding onto Kurt's leg.

"I think they learned that word together." Melissa said. "All she's been saying lately is 'hi' and 'lel' which, I think is supposed to be Elle."

"mi mi mi mi" Elle cooed, reaching up toward Kurt to be picked up.

Kurt laughed. "I think that's her attempt at Mia."

"Awww they're best friends already." Blaine said whistfully.

"Papa!" Elle yelled from her place in Kurt's arms.

"Yes darling?" Blaine asked, turning toward her.

"Hi!" Elle said sweetly, clapping her hands, earning a round of laughter from the parents.

!

"So you're both eighteen?" Melissa questioned, conversationally.

"Yupp." Kurt said brightly. "And Elle was fourteen months old on Tueday."

They were sitting at picnic table together, pulling food out the cooler that Kurt had packed for lunch. They watched as Blaine pushed both girls on the baby swings. There was also a little boy and his sister that Blaine was taking turns pushing. Blaine and the older sister were trying to teach the younger boy how to pump his legs. The woman suspected to be the children's mother was sitting on a bench with a magazine.

"He's a really great dad isn't he?" Melissa asked, her chin in her hand.

"The best." Kurt confirmed. "Sometimes I wonder if he's a better dad than I am." He mused.

"I'm sure you're both wonderful parents."

"Yeah." Kurt agreed. "I'm just glad I found someone who loves her as much as I do."

"How did you guys meet?"

"School. I was spying on his glee club and we met on a staircase. I got bullied a lot at school, because of my sexuality and Elle, so my dad forced me to transfer to Blaine's school for safety reasons." He knew he was giving her the short version, but he didn't want to get into all of the soap opera details.

"Did he know about Elle when you got together?" Melissa couldn't help herself. This was like the perfect chick flick movie, in real life.

"Yes!" Kurt said, slightly offended. "I didn't want to keep something that huge from my best friend. I finally told him and he fell in love with her. We got together a couple months after that. I think he loves her more than me, actually."

"Does your family like him?"

"I think they love Blaine more than me!" Kurt joked. "They're so close that Blaine actually went to my dad for advice when he was apprehensive about asking me out. I know that no matter what happens between us, my family will always love and take care of him, and he will always love and take care of Elle."

"That's really great, Kurt. Not everybody is as lucky as you."

"I know." Kurt muttered, thinking of Mr. Anderson and his wife's secret visit to Columbus.

They both watched as Blaine moved with the group of children to the slides.

"So, you're married?" Kurt asked, gesturing to her left hand ring finger.

"Yeah," Melissa confirmed, twisting her rings around her finger. "Tom, he's vice president of a fishing reel company, like for fishing rods, but the company outsources to China, so he's over there a lot. He's gone for another two weeks before he comes home this time."

"I'm sorry." Kurt sympathized. "That must be really hard."

Melissa shrugged. "He's not here most of the time when he's home anyway. He's always at the office. Amelia adores him, though. We skype as much as possible."

"That I understand." Kurt said. "Elle cannot get enough of Brittany, but she's so far away. Every time we skype she tries to touch her though the computer, and it ends up with smudges all over it."

"I'm not trying to be nosy, but how does your relationship with Blaine, Brittany, and Elle actually work?"

"Oh please, it's fine." Kurt said, waving his hand. "Asking is better than just staring rudely and trying to figure it out. Brittany and I are Elle's biological parents, obviously. But, when Elle was born Brittany declined legal guardianship of her. Basically, if you want to put it crudely, she gave her up. I am Elle's sole legal guardian. She didn't do it because she doesn't love her or she doesn't want to be her mom, she just knows that she can't take care of her and isn't in a position to be making life decisions for her."

Melissa nodded in understanding, even if the whole thing was kind of odd. Where did Blaine if in?

"Brittany's friend Santana put it best when she said it's like Elle is her cousin, who she comes over to play with. Blaine, on the other hand, has been a constant in Elle's life since she was four months old. He loves her to death, and I trust him to help make decisions about her life with me. It's almost like Brittany and I are divorced and Blaine is Elle's step dad, but not really because he is her real dad, if any of us have anything to say about it. I guess, what I mean to say is, Brittany's not out of Elle's life as a mother, but in all of our eyes, Blaine had more parental authority over Elle than Brit."

"So she had two daddies, and a mommy."

"Exactly." Kurt said. "And an Auntie Tana" he said laughing. "That's Brittany's girlfriend, kind of, I think."

Melissa's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my gosh, my daughter is going to be so fucked up! She has two sets of gay parents!"

Kurt and Melissa both burst out laughing at Kurt's revelation.

"What's so funny?" Blaine asked, as he approached, holding the girls hands in his as they walked.

"Just talking about how crazy our life is." Kurt explained, reaching out and clasping the hand that Amelia had dropped, connecting his family.

"Oh," Blaine said simply. "I think about that every day." He said, flashing one of his award winning smiles.

**A/N: **Let me know what you think! And as a little blurp that I didn't want to include in the beginning of the story in case people weren't interested (it's much easier to skip an ending author's note). I literally had to watch the Blaine audition scene 3 times before I paid attention to anything but Darren's arms and actually listened to the song! Can't wait for Tuesday's episode!

P.S. Sorry the chapters are getting shorter, if I would have jumped to the next plot point, it would have been way long.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Another week another chapter. This is actually the second scene that I thought of and wrote out in my head after the original concept of the story and the 'hi my name is Kurt and I have a baby' scenes. I really hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think with your reviews.

Ch 12

"This was your response?" Cassie asked, flabbergasted.

Blaine nodded slowly. "What do you think I did wrong?"

The day before Dr. Reed had handed back their reading responses. All that was written on Blaine's at the end of the four page response was, 'please see me during my office hours.'

"I don't think you did anything wrong. She probably wants to worship you like the wizard god you are. I took her last semester; these responses only have to be one page long. Yours is four, and it's like brilliant."

"What if that's what's wrong with it? I mean, I clearly didn't follow the guidelines."

"Blaine calm yourself. You. Will. Be. Fine." Cassie said slowly, punctuating each word.

"I guess so." He said, rolling and unrolling his paper. "I'm going to get going, get there a couple of minutes early." He stood, then bent down and they pecked her a kiss.

"Love you dearest" she said dramatically clutching at his hand.

"Forever and ever darling." He said theatrically.

It was a running joke between them that had existed since Cassie had met Kurt last week when he visited Blaine on campus during his lunch break. He said that they would make the perfect straight couple. Blaine argued that Cassie and Kurt would make the perfect straight couple. This had resulted in very dramatic greetings and goodbyes between all three of them.

!

"Its Blaine right?" a tall girl with sandy blonde hair asked, walking quickly to step next to him as he walked.

"Uhh, yeah." He said clumsily, taken aback.

"I'm Melanie; I think we have American Lit together. With Dr. Reed?" She asked, leaning forward toward him slightly.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. I'm just on my way to her office now." The pair usually met at 11:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays just to chat about their children over coffee, but today Blaine was worried about his paper.

"Me too. I'm scheduled to see her at 10:45, you?"

"11:00"

"Cool." The girl said simply. "How did you do on your response?" Melanie asked after a long silence.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "That's why she wanted to see me."

"I did awful, but she said if I came and talked to her I could re-do it, or do another response on a reading that a response wasn't assigned with."

"That's good."

They had finally arrived at Dr. Reed's office, something that Blaine thought couldn't' have come soon enough. He wasn't in the mood, and was too worried, to be chatty with someone he barely knew.

"See ya later, Blaine."

"Yeah, bye" he said, taking a seat to wait on one of the cushioned benches in the hall. He bounced his legs up and down, reading through his paper over and over again. He really should have listened to Kurt and shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee this morning. He had known it would make him too jittery with him already worrying about his paper.

"Blaine?" Dr. Reed said softly. He had been so worried he hadn't even noticed Melanie exit the office.

"Hi Dr. Reed" Blaine said nervously, much like that first day at daycare.

She motioned her head toward her door. "Come on in."

He scooped up his bag and practically bolted into her office.

"Coffee?"

"No, no thanks. I'm already going a mile a minute."

"Is something wrong?"

"Seriously?" He cocked a triangular eyebrow at her before realizing what he had just said, in a completely sarcastic tone. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! You're my professor! It's just I'm worried about my paper. You said that I had to come see you about it, and it didn't have a grade on."

"Blaine, calm down. It's fine. Even if we're in here to talk about school work, I'm still your friend. You don't have to be overly polite with me."

"Yeah, okay." He breathed in relief. "So, what was wrong with my paper?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry that I didn't put a grade on it. It was supposed to be an A plus. Although I'd give it higher than an A plus if it existed."

Blaine gawked. "Then, I mean, why… why did you want to talk to me about it?"

"Because you're in the wrong major Blaine."

He blinked at her.

"This paper is brilliant. I see work like this from students taking my 300 level Colonial American Literature course in their response papers. You're response was incredibly well thought out and insightful. Did it take you long to do?"

"It took me a couple of hours until I got it perfect. I did a little more outside research on John Winthrop but the ideas are mine."

"Most people probably took about half an hour to write a one page response, and I'm being generous."

"I just wanted to do it right, and have it be well written."

"It certainly was. Did you enjoy doing this?" She asked, waving his response.

"Yeah, it was interesting. I really got into the idea that the Puritans thought they had made a contract with God, and connecting it to their idea that the father west they were meant they were better religiously."

"Blaine, why exactly are you a biology major?"

"I want to be a doctor, and pre-med is just ridiculous if I can't get into Med School."

"Why do you want to be a doctor so badly? Does the idea excite you?"

Blaine shrugged. "I just always wanted to be a doctor so I could help people, I guess."

"You can help people other ways."

Blaine looked down at his lap and twisted his parachute cord bracelet around his wrist. He closed his eyes and sighed. "My dad wanted me to be a doctor."

"Is that important to you?"

"More important than it should be." He confessed truthfully with a small smile of admittance.

Melissa poured a mug of coffee, methodically added cream and sugar, and set it in front of her student, who had morphed into a deteriorating friend in front of her eyes.

"When we were little, before everything turned to shit, my dad used to joke that me and my brother would be doctors and my sister would be the nurse. We'd have a family practice and call it BEA Medical Center. It was always just a silly story and game to play when we were younger. My sister started school majoring in English Lit and then Dad joked that she would be our secretary. Eventually the dream morphed into serious expectations of my brother and me to go to Med School. He was three years older than me. Long story short, he rebelled against my father while I did everything to please him. After basic training he was taking Pre-Med courses before he got shipped overseas. He was killed by an IED. It was the one thing that he was doing that my father would have approved of and he never told him. Part of me just wants to pick up where he left off. Live up to my father's standards. Fill my brother's shoes."

Melissa's eyes were gazing at him softly. He could tell that they were full of concern.

"Sorry about unloading all of that. I used to be a pretty closed off person, but Kurt's been helping me to just let everything out and get my feelings out in the open."

"No," Melissa said gently. "That's a good thing." She reached out for his hand and he offered it. "I know that it's a lot to think about. I honestly don't know what I can do to help except to say that I can see how much you love English when see you participate in class and read what you write. Go home, talk to Kurt, think it over. But just remember that there are other ways to help people besides being a doctor. You could work in a youth center, or teach under privileged children, if you would get an English Education degree."

Blaine nodded solemnly.

"I just don't want to see any of my students, much less one of my friends, do anything less than what they love to do."

!

A month later and Blaine still couldn't decide what to do. It was six in the morning after Kurt's cell phone rang and his boss asked him to come in early, one of the third shift workers had to go home sick. Blaine was sitting in bed as Kurt bustled around the room getting ready.

"You have time to decide babe. You can't officially switch majors until the end of the semester anyway. Plus, if you still can't decide you can stick with just gen ed's until you do." Kurt kissed his cheek.

"I know, I know, you're right. I just can't stop thinking about it since she mentioned it."

"I know baby, and I know it's complicated for you. We can talk about it more later, if you want."

"I feel bad. You've heard this same spiel about my dad and Blake too many times."

"Never feel bad about talking things out Blaine Anderson, never." Kurt said, leaning down over the bed Blaine was sitting up in the peck him on the nose. "And I will never get tired of listening." He said, keeping his face close to his boyfriends, looking him in the eye.

Blaine nodded before kissing Kurt slowly on the mouth.

"I love you, you know that right?"

"I've never been more certain of anything in the entire world." Kurt said cheekily.

Blaine smiled widely up at him.

"I love you, too." Kurt added with another light kiss, this time to Blaine's forehead. "You're sure you're okay with dropping Elle off at daycare today? I can always call back and say I can't come in early."

"Its fine, go." Blaine said dropping back down onto his pillow and pulling the covers up to his chin. "I don't have class till 9:30 today anyway. I'll just grab a coffee with Cassie before class after I drop the kid off."

"Thank you baby. I love you." He brushed Blaine's curls off of his forehead and planted a soft kiss there.

"Have a good day at work. Love you too."

Blaine heard Kurt whisper his goodbyes to his daughter through the baby monitor and then he was gone. Blaine curled up in their bed, pulling Kurt's pillow close to his body and pressing his nose to the fabric. His eyes drifted shut only to be awakened two hours later by a screaming Elle.

He rushed next door and immediately cradled the girl to his chest, letting his lips fall to her forehead for a kiss. Her forehead felt hot against his lips and he hoisted the girl so her head rested on his shoulder, rubbing circles onto her tiny back. He found the baby thermometer in a dresser drawer and held the screaming girl at he tried to hold it under her tongue. 100.2

Stay calm, he told himself. It's not like she's never been sick before. It's just that Kurt's always been around when she was. He descended the stairs slowly and located the list of emergency numbers by the phone. The number for the pediatrician in Lima was on the list. Blaine knew that he used to do house calls for Kurt because Kurt always fixed his car.

The phone rang a few times before a sleepy woman's voice answered the phone.

"Hello"

"Hi, Mrs. Shepherds. This is Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel's friend. He's at work and I'm watching Elle and she has a temperature, is Dr. Shepherds there?"

Blaine hoped that the slight grunt she gave was a yes.

"Good morning, Papa Anderson." Came the booming voice of the middle aged doctor. It was a nickname Dr. Shepherds had come to call Blaine whenever he saw him at the garage or at the doctor's office with Kurt and Elle. "What seems to be the trouble this morning?"

"Elle has a fever, 100.2 and her nose is running."

"Is she coughing too?"

"She's trying to, in-between the crying." Blaine said, trying to sooth the girl by rocking back and forth and rubbing her back, the phone wedged between his ear and shoulder.

"Is it dry or does it sound phlegmy?"

Blaine listened closely to his daughter's small coughs between cries and hiccoughs.

"It's just dry, not phelgmy at all."

"Okay that's good. She doesn't have a rash anywhere at all does she?"

"Hold on," Blaine set the phone down on the counter and looked Elle over for any rash.

"Her eye's a little red, but she's been rubbing at it with her fist. She does that when she's tired."

"It's not pink?"

"No not pink at all."

"Okay well, I'm sure it's just a cold. I'm going to call up to the pharmacy you're using up there and have a prescription filled for her. I'll put it in Elle's name but make sure they know that you're picking it up. Just make sure you have I.D. Papa Anderson."

"Thank you Dr. Shepherds." Blaine said gratefully.

"Not a problem son, anything else you need?"

"That's everything. I'll call the office if anything changes."

"That'll be fine son. Now go take care of that little one."

"You got it Doc. Thank you again." He said before hanging up.

The pharmacy didn't open until nine and they'd need some time to fill the prescription. Blaine set to work trying to sooth Elle with a cool cloth and a sippy cup full of cold water, while rocking her gently in their plush lazy boy. It took him an hour to get her to sleep. He sent a quick text to Kurt and then called Mrs. Miller.

"Could you come watch her while I run to the pharmacy? I'd hate to wake her up to take her with me."

"Of course dear." She said instantly. "I'll be right over."

!

When Blaine returned with the medicine, Elle was awake and crying again. He coaxed they eye dropper into her mouth gently, and rocked her back to sleep. Her fever finally broke around two am the next morning, after Blaine had forced Kurt to go sleep around midnight. With another person on the staff sick he couldn't take a day off unless absolutely necessary.

"And it's not absolutely necessary. I missed today's classes, and they're different from Wednesday classes. Melissa will understand if I miss tomorrow. Plus I've already worked ahead in most of my classes anyway. I can stay home tomorrow too. You can go to work if you have to. Don't jeopardize your job if you don't have to." He had argued against Kurt's infamous stubbornness.

He laid the now sniffling and coughing, but not crying, baby on the guest bed in her room on her stomach, piling pillows along the side of the bed so she wouldn't roll off. He lay down next to her and ran his hand over her back in circles, until her eyes drifted closed. His own eyes followed suit soon after. The only thing that stirred him from his sleep was Kurt's hand once again pushing back his curls to kiss his forehead.

"You're amazing." He whispered. "I love you."

Blaine was too tired to say anything; he just mumbled and let his hand fall on top of Kurt's where it had been rubbing Elle's back as she stirred.

Elle woke up not much longer and after only five hours of sleep Blaine spent the entire day until Kurt got home late at six, after an 11 hour shift. Kurt forced his boyfriend to drink some warm milk and go straight to bed at eight in the evening. He had taken Thursday off to stay home will Elle.

"Don't worry! I know you're ahead, but you shouldn't miss this much school. I got Lisa to cover for me and we cleared it with head nurse before I left today." Kurt said to Blaine's protests. Blaine could barely keep himself awake throughout the argument and when his alarm rang out eleven hours later, it seemed much too soon.

!

Blaine drained his cup of coffee and sat it on Melissa's desk.

"You look exhausted." She commented casually.

"I was up with Elle for almost two days straight with only five hours of on and off sleep, until last night. How do you expect me to look?"

Melissa snorted into her coffee.

"She's not contagious is she?"

Blaine shook his head. "I took her to a doctor that our regular doctor recommended yesterday and he said she wasn't contagious after the fever broke. She was looking a lot better today; Kurt just wanted to stay home with her so she'd be more comfortable. He said he's still fine to get Mia today. I think he said something about getting her earlier than five though, 'cause he's off. He'll probably go whenever Elle's being happy."

"Oh that's fine" she said waving her hand at him. It'll give the girls a chance to play. All I've heard for two days is 'lel lel lel,' she can't get enough of your little girl."

Blaine rubbed his forehead and laughed. "I'm sure Elle will be itching to play today. She's been cooped up in my arms for two days."

!

Blaine sat at a computer in the library, printing out a report due the next day. He rubbed at his eyes groggily and took another swig of his coffee. He wasn't supposed to be this tired still.

"Hi Blaine." A cheerful voice sounded from behind him.

"Oh, hi Melanie." He said, waving his hand lazily over his shoulder.

"So," she said plopping down next to him. "You're like really smart in Dr. Reed's class, and I have to write a new response to make up for my first sucky one. I was wondering if you could help me."

"I was actually just leaving."

"I can come to your house." She persisted. "Please, it's due tomorrow and I really need someone who gets this stuff to proof read for me. I have my car on this side of campus; I could just follow you home and leave when we're done."

Blaine rubbed at his eyes again. "Yeah, sure. It's on the reading for tomorrow?" He asked, as he got up slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.

She followed behind closely on his heels chattering away about the sorority she was pledging. As soon as he pulled into the driveway he realized his mistake. She had no idea he lived with his boyfriend, she had no idea he had a child, hell she had no idea he was even gay. He hit his head against the steering wheel before getting out of the car. He glanced in the Navigator as he passed by. Two car seats. Kurt had already picked up Mia from daycare.

"This is a really nice house" Melanie commented, as she strode up beside Blaine. "Do you live with your parents?"

"No," Blaine said shaking his head, and opening the front door. "I live with my boyfriend, and his daughter." He said, ushering her through the doorway.

The house was surprisingly quiet.

"Are they home?" Melanie asked, an uncomfortable confusion written all over her face.

Blaine heard a faint squeal of laughter that he recognized as Mia's.

"They're outside. Come on, we can set up in the dining room." He said, leading her through the living room and into the kitchen and dining room. "Just give me one second."

He stepped through the sliding glass door. "Hey babe, I'm home."

"Hi honey!" Kurt yelled from pushing the girls on the swings.

"Are you sure you should have her out here. I mean I know it's like 65 degrees in the middle of October, but still." Blaine said, making his way across the yard.

"She's fine. I had her back at the doctors again today, and I called Dr. Shepherds. They both said it's okay and that some fresh air would probably do her some good. Who'd you bring home with you?" He asked, peering around the hug that Blaine wrapped him in to look into the kitchen.

"Uuugh, some girl from Melissa's class that insisted on my helping her with her response re-write and I was just too tired, too distracted, and too god damn nice to say no too."

"Aww, my Blainey. Always too nice. How about I take the girls for a walk down to the park so we don't distract you and you get done faster. If Melissa comes just tell her to walk on over."

Blaine thrusted his hands into his sweatshirt pocket and nodded. He placed a kiss on the tops of both Elle and Mia's heads, before pulling Elle from the swing and hugging her. Kurt grabbed Mia and together they trudged through the house and into the garage, Kurt saying a quick polite hello to Melanie. Blaine helped Kurt get the girls set up in the wagon before kissing all three and heading back into the house.

He sat down at the table and opened his book to the reading due tomorrow that he had already read, he pulled Melanie's response next to his book. "Let's see what we can do here."

!

Blaine and Melanie were listening to some Top 40 playlist on her laptop when Kurt walked into the house with the girls, both had fallen asleep on the way home with the motion of the wagon.

"So, Blaine Anderson." He heard Melanie say coyly. "Do you want to come to my sorority's party tonight?"

"Uh, I don't think so."

"Awww, come on" she whined. "Why not?"

"Because of Kurt, and Elle, and we have class tomorrow." Blaine said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh who cares, you should have a little fun. You're not an old man."

"No, but I have a boyfriend who was taking care of his daughter, who is getting over a cold, all day. I'm not going out to some party. Plus I have work and notes to catch up on from missing two days of school."

"You're no fun. I honestly thought you were straight. I saw you kiss that girl in the library before." Melanie said.

"That's my best friend Cassie; she kisses Kurt like that too."

"I thought she was your girlfriend."

Blaine's response was drowned out by Elle waking up as Kurt tried to lay her on the couch. Her giggle work Amelia up and soon both girls were running into the kitchen toward the sound of Blaine's voice.

"Papa!" Elle screeched, running to him and clinging at his legs.

"Hey Ellie girl!" he roared as he picked her up and kissed her all over her stomach. "You're feeling much better aren't you?"

"Mi mi mi" she said happily, pointing a short finger at Mia.

"Yeah, and you got to play with Mia today." He kissed her on the cheek.

Kurt came in holding Mia. "Come on Elle," Kurt said, holding out his spare arm for Blaine to hand him Elle. "Let's let Papa, work with his friend."

"No, that's okay." Melanie said shortly. "We're done here. I'm gonna get going."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Kurt asked politely.

"I'm sure." She said, already closing her laptop and stuffing it into its case.

Kurt was carting the girls back into the living room when Melissa came through the front door.

"Mama!" Mia cried out. She wriggled free from Kurt's grasp and into the outstretched arms of her mother.

"Hi ya, baby girl!" she said sweetly to her daughter. She looked up at Kurt. "Thank you so much for getting her again. My sisters been so busy lately."

"Oh it's fine. We love having he, don't we babe?" he said, then shouted into the kitchen at Blaine.

"Oh course we do." Blaine confirmed.

"Oh my God." Melanie squeaked.

"Hello there Ms. Heller." Melissa said casually.

"Hi, Dr. Reed." Melanie peeped nervously.

"I'll just…" Blaine trailed off, motioning toward the door, following behind Melanie as she stormed towards it.

"You are friends with our professor?" She snapped, as she forced her feet into her shoes. "And you babysit her daughter?"

"Yeah…" Blaine said slowly.

"Oh my God." She said in a huff, shaking her hair out of her face and walking out the door.

"What was that all about?" Melissa asked.

"You don't want to know." Blaine said, sinking down onto the couch, pulling Elle onto his lap as she stood at the couch chanting "Papa, up."

!

"She thought I was dating Cassie and she still invited me to a party with her." Blaine said with a laugh as they sat on the couch later that night, just the two of them. Blaine's back was pressed into Kurt's chest and Kurt was running his fingers through Blaine's hair, making his eye lids begin to droop out of sheer comfort.

"You could have gone you know." Kurt said softly.

"What?" Blaine said, turning to face his boyfriend.

"I said you could have gone to the party. That's part of the college experience."

Blaine shook his head. "It's not part of my college experience."

Kurt bit his lip. "Maybe it should be." He said slowly.

"What?"

"This" Kurt gestured around him to the toys littering the floor. "Is not a normal college experience. Babysitting your professors daughter, is not a normal college experience. Staying home for two days with a sick fifteen month old is not a normal college experience."

"Kurt if I wanted a normal college experience, I wouldn't have asked you to move in with me."

"I know." Kurt bit his lip again. "But maybe you shouldn't have."

"What?"

"Maybe you should have lived by yourself or with a roommate for a year so you know what it's like. I mean this is all you've known. What if you would like being free, and just visiting me in Lima on the weekends?"

"Kurt, you're crazy. I love you, I love Elle. I want to be with you."

"I know you love us and want to be with me, but you can be my boyfriend even if I was in Lima. I just feel bad about all the responsibilities you take on with school too."

"Yes I do, Kurt, Elle's my daughter. We always say she's my daughter. What are you saying?" Tears were welling up in his eyes.

"You can still be her dad and be in school, not having to take care of her. That's my job. You're only eighteen; you didn't do anything to deserve this responsibility besides fall in love with me, stupidly."

"Kurt please just tell me what you're trying to say." Blaine pleaded, gripping Kurt's hands.

Kurt took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about this since I overheard you and Melanie." He let out his sigh. "I want to move back to Lima with Elle for a week so you can see what it's like living on your own and being a normal eighteen year old boy going to college with a long distance relationship."

"No, Kurt." Blaine cried, he flung himself at Kurt wrapping his arms around him. "Please, this is what I want. I don't want you to go. Please, don't leave me."

"You don't know this is what you want if this is all you know. I'm not leaving you, honey. I just want you to do this for me. If you are miserable all week and you want us to come back we will be back her in a heartbeat, Sunday afternoon. If you decide you like being by yourself, I completely understand."

Blaine was sobbing into Kurt's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to stop you?"

"No, Blaine. I want you to do this for me. Please, just so I know everything is okay with what we're doing here. If you want me back at the end of the week, we'll be back."

He felt Blaine's head nod into his shoulder.

"When I'm gone babe, I want you to try to act like any normal OSU kid. Hang out on campus, stay up late, go to parties, order food at three in the morning, have friends over." He pulled Blaine off of him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Call your boyfriend."

"What about work?" Blaine sniffed.

"I called while you were in the shower, and worked it all out."

!

Blaine laid in bed that night clutching desperately to his boyfriend who was leaving after he left for school in the morning. _If you love him, let him go_, echoed through his head. Kurt was strong willed. If this is what he thought was best, Blaine knew he wasn't going to be able to convince him otherwise without causing a huge fight which could harm their whole relationship. If he suffered through this, he could have Kurt and Elle back in a week. A normal boyfriend would visit their long distance boyfriends on the weekend, so he would see Kurt and Elle next Friday night as soon as he got done with classes. If Kurt needed this for reassurance in their relationship then Blaine would do his best to assure Kurt that this was right for them.

A/N: Don't hate me please! This story was far to fluffy, it needed a break from the sweet tooth. But please people, have some faith in our boys. As always thank you so much for reading and I'd love if you tell me what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So I sincerely apologize for the cliff hanger that ended the last chapter. I hope that this one makes up for it! As always please review, they'll keep me going until November 1! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ch 13

Kurt's eyes clouded with tears as drove away from his home. How could he be sure he was doing the right thing? Elle cooed softly from her car seat in the back. That's how. Kurt loved and trusted Blaine with all his heart, but with these issues coming up now already who knew where Blaine would be in three years. What if he decided he wanted to go out and party once he turned 21? What if he decided he wanted to be just a normal college kid? That phrase echoed in his ears and he was already sick of it, but he couldn't think of any other way to put it. He didn't want to push Blaine away or be mean, he just wanted Blaine to experience what it would be like not being tied to the responsibility of him and Elle. He knew Blaine loved him, he just wanted to be sure that Blaine knew both sides of the coin so he could be certain that Elle would be living in a stable household.

Elle was asleep when he pulled into the drive way of his old house. Burt was the first person out of the door. He quickly wrapped Kurt in a hug and then proceeded to the car toward his granddaughter. Carole came next followed by Finn. Finn held his arms out and Kurt rushed toward his brother. His tears stained the front of Finns shirt as he cried.

"I messed everything up, Finn." Kurt sobbed. "He's not going to want me back."

"Kurt there's not going to be anything to take back because you guys didn't break up. You just moved out for a week. Blaine still loves you."

"I had to do it Finn. I mean, what if, what if something happens and he see's everything else he could have."

"He won't."

"But if he does, I mean it's better for him to find that out now right? I'm not crazy?"

"No Kurt, you're not crazy. You're just trying to do what's best for your family."

Kurt nodded into Finn's chest as he continued to sob.

!

Blaine sat in the hall on the floor outside of Melissa's office at 10:00 after his first class waiting for her to come in. His head hung and he watched his fingers move over his bracelet. His eyes were puffy from crying all morning, and stubble dusted his chin.

"Blaine?"

His head snapped up. She took in his red rimmed eyes, and defeated stature.

"Oh my God, Blaine. Are you okay?"

He shook his head and desperately tried to stop the tears from leaving his eyes, where they had instantly welled up.

"Kurt's gone" he managed to croak out.

"Okay, come one," Melissa said offering her hand to help him up. "Inside, go." She insisted pushing gently on his back. She guided him to a seat, before sitting across from him at her desk.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

"Kurt, he, he said he wanted me to see what it was like to live without him and Elle." He sniffed and paused, taking a deep breath. "He wants me to see if I like it better not having to take care of Elle while I'm going to school." He kneaded his forehead with his finger tips.

"So he didn't break up with you?"

Blaine just shook his head.

"Melanie, yesterday, she was trying to get me to go to some party and I think Kurt understood that I didn't want to go, but he got it in his head that maybe I would want to go one day, and that I would like it and not want to take care of Elle anymore. He just gets so damn stubborn." His eyes started to well again. "I just want him here."

"I know." She said with a concerned sigh. "Blaine, honey, I know you don't want to hear this but I think this is something that Kurt just has to do for himself. Think of the position he's in. He has a daughter and is working full time while you're going to school. He see's all of the options that you have available to you and he probably feels bad, and thinks that he's holding you back from that."

"But he's not. I don't want any of this. I just need him."

"I know, and I'm sure he needs you too. He's just trying to think of the future for his daughter. Trust me, I know the feeling."

"I know, I know. It just doesn't stop it from hurting."

"Don't worry. As soon as Kurt's sure you're what's best for Elle, he'll be back in Columbus. And I'm sure that's what he'll decide, because I've seen you with the girl and it's like magic. You're more of a father to Elle than Mia's dad is to her."

Blaine smiled slightly, and tilted his head in question. "Is everything okay with you and Tom?"

Melissa sighed. "Yes and no. He's never around so it's not like there's any time for things to go wrong. I'm just worried that him popping in and out at random whenever he feels like it isn't best for Mia."

Blaine reached his hand across the desk and grasped Melissa's.

"It'll all work out." He said confidently.

"So will you and Kurt." Melissa said, equally confident.

!

Burt rapped his knuckles against Kurt's door.

"Hey kiddo, you left your phone in your car. Do you want it?"

All he heard was an unintelligible sobbing mumble.

"He asked if you can call Blaine and tell him he got here safe." Came the boom of Finn's voice.

"Yeah, okay." Walking back down the stairs, he pulled his own phone out and dialed Blaine's number. Blaine answered on the first ring.

"Burt, what's wrong? What happened? Is everything okay? Is Elle okay?"

"Blaine… Blaine… Blaine!" Burt yelled as the boy continued to panic. "Calm down; everything is fine. Kurt just wanted me to call you and let you know that he and Elle got here safely."

"Oh thank god." Blaine sighed in relief. "Is Kurt okay?" he asked tentatively.

"Not really." Burt breathed honestly. "He and Finn are in his room now. Finn's trying to calm him down. I think he's afraid he's going to lose you."

"That could never happen." Blaine said shakily, and Burt could hear the tears in his voice. "How's Elle doing?"

"She's fine. She's asleep now."

"Okay, well just let her sleep. Don't wake her up for lunch if she's still sleeping, she's been sick and I'm sure the car ride tired her out this morning. She needs her rest. There's medicine in the diaper bag, if Kurt's still upstairs when she wakes up. Make sure she takes it with food though or it upsets her stomach. The doctor said to give it to her until tomorrow afternoon, but if she runs a fever again you're going to have to call Dr. Shepherds to refill the prescription."

"Blaine, Carole and I have both raised children. We know what we're doing."

"I know, I know" Blaine said, straining to hold back his tears. "It's just she's been so sick and I miss her so much."

"I know, kid." Burt said softly.

"Just," Blaine sniffled. "Just, give her a kiss for me and tell her that I love her."

"Okay, son."

"And," Blaine took a moment in which Burt could hear him trying to compose himself and a woman speaking quietly in the background. "and tell Kurt that I love him."

"I will, kid."

"Thanks, Burt."

"Remember, we love you too, son. If you need anything you just give us a call, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks Burt."

"I'll see ya later, kid."

"Okay, bye Burt."

"Bye Blaine."

!

"That was Burt," Blaine said, looking over at Melissa who was kneeling next to his chair. "They got there safely and Kurt's locked in his room with Finn trying to calm him down." He said with tears running down his face. "I hate that he's hurting."

Melissa rubbed a hand over his back and nodded. "I'm sure this isn't easy for him either."

Blaine nodded. "I just miss them so much."

!

Burt stood at the couch, over his sleeping granddaughter, for a moment. He smiled softly as her mouth moved slightly in her sleep. He ran his rough hand over her hair and bent down to place a kiss on her head.

"You're Papa loves you so much, Ellie girl." He whispered. "He wants you to know that he loves you."

He sighed deeply as he climbed the stairs. He stood outside, listening to the murmur of voices on the other side of the door.

He hit his knuckles against the door twice. "Blaine wanted me to tell you that he loves you kiddo."

The only sound that answered him was another round of distressing sobs.

!

"I just don't know if I can go back and stay in the house, knowing they won't be there." Blaine said, staring blankly at his Algebra book. He already had the homework done, but staring at the book was better than nothing.

"Well then you won't." Cassie said definitively.

Blaine looked up at her.

"You're spending the night on campus with me, and we'll go to the football game tomorrow. A friend of mine is like the fifth string punter and his parents are from Pennsylvania so they can't come to every game. He gave me their tickets the other day. I know how much you love the Buckeyes."

Blaine nodded absently.

"You can stay the whole weekend if you want. My roommate is leaving tomorrow morning to visit her boyfriend anyway."

"Yeah, maybe. I have Sunday dinner at the Miller's at four though. "

"That's okay. I'll be sick of you by then anyway." She teased, knocking into his knee with her own.

"I have to… Will you come over Sunday and help me make a dessert? Kurt always makes dessert to take with."

"Sure thing, Blainey Boo"

"Thanks Cassie dear." He said, a smile tugging at his lips at their joke.

!

Blaine walked into American Lit and dragged his chair to the edge of the room to start the circle. He purposely sat where he knew he would be out of Melanie's direct line of sight. He dropped his messenger bag on the floor and slumped into his seat, pulling the book they were working on and a pen out of his bag. He'd already read the whole thing, but he bent his head over the book, rereading the section they were discussing today.

Melanie and her friend walked into the room, saw him, and snickered. He kept his head over the book and ignored him. More people started to filter into the room and he could hear the whispers. Usually the room was loud and booming, not today. Everyone talked in hushed tones and the seats on either side of him stayed empty until the last two people walked into the room. A quiet girl who never talked walked through the door directly behind Dr. Reed and slipped into the chair next to him. Drew, who always sat next to him plopped down heavily soon after.

The girl on the other side of Drew whispered something in his ear, pointing at Blaine, but Drew just shrugged.

"So?" Blaine heard him hiss back.

Dr. Reed was looking back and forth from the class to her attendance sheet. He leaned over toward Blaine. "Did you get any of this stuff?" He asked, brandishing _The Scarlet Letter_ under Blaine's nose.

Blaine nodded slowly. "I love this book." He whispered.

"That makes one of us." Drew snickered.

The room was silent watching them talk. Melissa noticed and started class, checking off the few remaining students as she talked. Blaine sat silent throughout the class. He took his notes directly in his book as usually, but he didn't say a word. He was too busy keeping his emotions in check. He stayed slumped in his seat, reading, while everyone else was packing up to leave.

"Have a good weekend, bro. See ya Monday." Drew said offering his fist for Blaine to bump.

"See ya, man" Blaine mumbled, not looking up at him because he knew his eyes would be red and watery.

Blaine looked up at Melissa, who was packing things into her bag.

"Not everyone's an asshole." She said simply.

"But close." Blaine said sarcastically, getting out of his seat.

"Have a good weekend Blaine." She said wrapping her arms around him. "If you need anything at all just call, okay?"

"Yeah. I will. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Can you drop me check off at Bella's? I really don't want to go there right now."

"No problem," she said, taking the check from his hand.

"See you on Monday, Mr. Anderson." She said as they walked out the door together.

"See you on Monday, Dr. Reed." He echoed.

!

Kurt called Blaine that night after getting back from Finn's football game. They both strained to talk to each other as if this was normal.

"Oh my gosh, honey. Do you need me to come home?" Kurt asked quickly after Blaine related what happened in American Lit. It was the first time either of them had acknowledged the situation.

"No Kurt, I'm fine. I know that this is something you have to do. I'm not going to pretend it isn't killing me, but I want more than anything for you to be sure that this is real and I'm not going anywhere. If this is what needs to happen for you to know that, then it's what needs to happen."

"You are the most amazing person in the world, Blaine Anderson. I love you more than I can possibly imagine."

"I love you too, Kurt. So my temporarily long distance boyfriend, how was Finn's game? Did Elle have fun seeing her uncle play?"

!

Blaine stood at the front door of the Miller's with a very dilapidated looking apple pie in his hands. He and Cassie had spent the entire weekend together and it had been really fun, but he would have much rather spent it with Kurt and Elle. Still, he was trying to do what Kurt wanted and do 'normal' college things, but he was not about to skip their weekly dinner with the Millers though. He checked his hair in the window to make sure he had gotten all of the flour out from the battle he and Cassie had while they were attempting to bake.

"Hi, Blaine dear." Mrs. Miller's daughter Kim answered the door. "Where's Kurt and little miss Elle?" She asked, craning her neck around the doorway.

"They're at home, we're uh, we're… he's making me try long distance to see if I like it better without having so much on my plate." Blaine admitted.

"I'm sorry sweetheart" Kim said, the smile falling from her face.

"It's okay. He'll be back at the end of the week." Blaine said confidently. "But with him gone that does mean that I butchered dessert. My friend Cassie tried to help me, but it didn't really work."

"I'm sure it will taste delicious, even if it looks like it went through a wood chipper." She said taking it from his hands and dragging him inside. "Jeff and Bobby out back with Andrew and Jenna if you want to go out." She said of her sons.

"Hello dear." Mrs. Miller said, placing a kiss on his cheek as he made his way through the kitchen to the back door. She didn't ask about Kurt. Blaine knew that he had called and talked to her about it Saturday afternoon while he was at the football game.

"Hi, Mrs. Miller. How are you today?"

"Wonderful dear. The boys are out back" she said, slapping his hand as he dipped his finger into the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"That's where I'm headed." Blaine said, holding his hands up in the air in surrender. He knew better than to ask to be able to help. He would just be shooed outside anyway.

Kim's sons, Jeff and Bobby, and Andrew were throwing football in the back yard while, Andrew's granddaughter, Ryan's son, Jenna was running around the back yard picking up fallen leaves from the trees.

"Hey Blaine!" Jeff, who was 17, called, throwing him the football. He caught it expertly and threw it toward 15 year old Bobby, named after his Uncle Robert.

"Hi Jeff. Hey Bobby, Andrew." They waved in response.

"Where's Kurt?" Andrew yelled across the yard.

"Parent's" Blaine shouted back, tired of explaining the situation. "Hi Jenna!" he said enthusiastically, lifting the little girl up under her arms and spinning her around.

"Bane!" She shouted in response, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him sloppily on the cheek. He set her down and he quickly began making a large pile of leaves for her to jump and play in.

"He must miss Elle so much." Sarah said, watching the pair out of the door.

"I'm glad Jenna's here this week for him to play with at least." Kim replied, craning her neck over her mother's shoulder to get a look outside. "He's so good with kids."

"He's a great dad." Sarah said with a sigh. "I just wish things could be easier for them."

The two stood in silence for a moment until Kim opened the door to shout, "Boys! Dinner!"

"So, when does Kurt get back?" Andrew asked over dinner. Blaine was helping Jenna get spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.

"Well, we're supposed to be having a 'long distance relationship' for a week, so I'm going down to Lima on Friday, as if I were going home for the weekend, whether he likes it or not, and then I'm dragging his skinny butt back here on Sunday at the latest."

"It'll all turn out for the best." Andrew reassured him. "I went through this with Robert and Ryan when Ryan was about seven. I didn't think that Robert should be wasting his life taking care of my son. I tried to push him away but he wouldn't let me. When Kurt comes back things will be better than ever, trust me."

"I hope so." Blaine sighed. "For now, I'm just doing whatever he wants me to. I'll do anything to have him in my life, even if that means not having him here."

A round of 'awws' filled the table from the women and Andrew. Jeff and Bobby sniggered. Eddy smacked both of them on the back of the head from where he was sitting between them.

"Just make sure when he comes home you hold on to him. I've seen how much you love each other and how much you love that little girl. Don't let him go, because you never know when he'll be gone, and not by choice." Andrew said solemnly.

Kim looked at him sadly and rubbed a hand over her back. The entire table was silent thinking of the family member they had lost so long ago.

Kim raised her wine glass. "To Robert, and to love that lasts a lifetime." She said, giving Andrew a watery smile.

That night Blaine curled up in their bed, hugging Kurt's pillow, holding Elle's sheets and cried himself to sleep.

!

Blaine composed himself the next day and spent the week trying to live the way Kurt wanted him to. He ate dinner on campus with Cassie every night. He talked to Drew after class on Monday and played soccer with him and his friends on Tuesday and Thursday after class. He and Cassie hung out and watched movies. Wednesday night they went to karaoke night at an Under 21 club. On Thursday night they watched the school sponsored movie in the Student Union Building. He talked to Kurt on the phone every night and skyped when they could.

Bailey had tried to convince him that this was good thing. She wanted him to take time and really think about whether or not he wanted Kurt to come home. A long distance relationship is part of a normal college experience, she argued. His mother had agreed and was actually happy for him. He had hung up on both of them. He called Burt later in the week and Burt told him that Kurt was trying to keep it together for Elle, and that Elle cried for him every morning when she woke up and every night when she went to bed. He just wanted his family back.

!

Cassie was leaning against the wall of his last class Friday afternoon with Drew, when he and Melissa walked out.

"Go get your man, Blainey Boo." She said, giving him a hug.

"I don't understand why you aren't in Lima already." Drew said, linking his arm with Cassie's.

"Me either." Melissa agreed. "I even gave him permission to skip class."

"Kurt wouldn't have wanted me to skip class. That was part of the issue in the first place. It took me long enough to convince him that I would have come home every weekend if I lived here without him."

"You're sure you want to do this?" Melissa asked.

"Do what?" all three asked, shocked.

"Have Kurt and Elle come back. That was the whole point of this thing right? You were supposed to see if you enjoyed this week better than living with him and Elle."

"I'd take him and Elle a thousand times over before I lived a week without them again."

"Just so you're sure." Melissa said, hugging him. "I've gotta go get Mia. I'll see you Monday. I'm sure Amelia will be excited to get her best friend back."

"Bye Blaine, tell Kurt I said hi!" Cassie called as he got in his car.

"See ya guys, fun on your date tonight!" He winked at them.

!

To Blaine the hour and forty five minute drive seemed to take forever. His stomach was growling as he got off of the exit for Lima and passed the fast food chains but he ignored it. Kurt should just be getting ready to close the shop at quarter of six, and Blaine hoped against all hope that he had taken Elle with him to work that day.

Kurt's Navigator was the only vehicle in the parking lot and just the sight of it made Blaine's stomach fill with butterflies. He told himself to look inside and see if Elle's car seat was in it, but he couldn't help himself and ran right to the door. He whipped it open to see Kurt through the glass windows of the office, standing with his back to him at the filing cabinet. He turned around when he heard the bell tinker and his face lit up upon seeing Blaine.

Before either of them knew what was happening they were in each other's arms in the doorway of the office. Tears streamed down Blaine's face as he held Kurt and brought his lips up to press against his boyfriends. He felt Kurt's arms tighten around him as he kissed him forcefully, first on the lips but then on his chin, cheeks, neck, everywhere. Blaine unwound his arms from Kurt and brought his hands up to his face, holding his boyfriend gently and looking into his tear filled eyes.

"Oh my God, I missed you." Blaine whispered against Kurt's lips, before claiming them again, running his fingertips across Kurt's cheeks.

Kurt pulled back and placed a soft hand on Blaine's cheek. With his other he graced his fingertips over Blaine's forehead and through his curls, to the back of his neck.

"I missed you too." He whispered back, before kissing Blaine, softer and slower than before.

"Papa! Papa!" Blaine heard from inside the office.

He paused his kisses, and stood holding Kurt, staring into the office at Elle in her play pen.

"Go," Kurt whispered in his ear. "Your daughter misses you."

Torn between going to Elle and never letting Kurt go again, Blaine released his hold on Kurt and rushed towards Elle. He lifted her out of the play pen and wrapped his arms around her, spinning around and kissing her cheek. He held in on his chest and pulled his head back to look at her.

"Hi!" She said brightly, placing her hands on his wet cheeks.

"Hi baby girl" He said, his voice full of his falling tears. He took two steps over to Kurt and wrapped an arm around him again, pulling him into another hug with Elle between them.

"Never again, Kurt. Never leave me again."

"Do you… Do you want me to come home? You don't want to be a normal college kid?"

"Please stop saying that! Of course I want you home. Normal is over rated. I just want you. You and Elle, perfect, forever."

"Forever." Kurt whispered, placing his forehead against Blaine's.

"Yup, Hummel, you're stuck with me now."

"I think I can handle that." Kurt said, brining a hand to the back of Blaine's neck pulling him in to kiss him deeply.

"Now," Blaine said pulling away. "Do I really have to stay here all weekend like normal college kid, or can we go home after dinner?"

"Let's go home." Kurt whispered, resting his forehead against Blaine's neck, before looking up and kissing him, and then Elle on the forehead.

A/N: Do you still hate me? So in case you forgot who was all in the Miller family I tried to explain within the story, but if it wasn't clear here we go. Kim=Eddy & Sarah's daughter, Jeff, Bobby, and Katie (who we met in an earlier chapter) are her kids. Andrew is kind of their son-in-law who was their son Robert's boyfriend. Robert helped Andrew raise Ryan (who is Jenna's father). Deep breath, and I think I got everyone. So my thought was I can do an epilogue and end the story or do scattered one shots as Elle grows up, because I really don't have her whole life planned out. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks again for reading!


	14. Epilouge

**A/N: **So this is the last chapter. I apologize for its shortness. I didn't want to make it too long. I kind of wanted it to wrap up this story and be a teaser for my next story which will be a chaptered story of one-shots within this universe as Elle grows up. It will be called "When We Came Home." It won't be up right away, but I think I'll post it at the end of this story when it is.

Thank you so much for reading this story and making it to this point. I had a great time writing it and I hope you guys had a good time reading it. Please review to give your final thoughts on the story. Thank you, again, for reading! Until "When We Came Home" I bid you farewell.

Epilogue

(A Little Over) One Year Later

Blaine stepped through the front door holding a sleeping Elle, her head resting against his shoulder. He draped his coat over the safety gate that guarded the stairs, where somehow all of their coats ended up and they just stepped over it to go upstairs instead of taking it down. The room was lit softly by the glow of the lights on the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room.

Kurt dropped his own coat on the safety gate and moved to stand in front of Blaine, carefully coaxing Elle's coat from her shoulders trying not to wake the girl up. She stirred slightly, but Blaine gently guided her head back to his shoulder and shifted the blanket that was stuck between her and his arm over her back.

"Did you grab the presents from your mom and dad?" Blaine whispered as he stepped over the gate to take Elle upstairs.

Kurt lifted the bags from the floor, and gestured his head toward the tree.

"I'll be back down in just a minute." Blaine said, bending down from his place on the first step to kiss Kurt's cheek.

Blaine tiptoed lightly down the stairs as Kurt was putting the last of the presents under the tree. Blaine bent down and removed an ornament from a box that had been opened earlier in the evening. It was a beautiful silver snowflake that read "The Hummel-Anderson's"

!

"_I know you guys aren't married, and I have no idea if either of you are going to change or hyphenate your names when it happens, but you'll always be the Hummel-Anderson's to us." Carole said, as Kurt pulled the ornament from its box._

"_Thank you, Mom" Kurt whispered, as he held the ornament for Blaine to see. _

"_Thank you so much Burt and Carole" Blaine said, as a tear pooled in the corner of his eye. _

"_Papa!" Came the insistent sound of Elle's voice. _

"_Yes, little miss Elle?" Blaine questioned, crawling over to her and tickling her sides._

_She shrieked with laughter. "Jammies!" She proclaimed holding up the Christmas themed pajama's that her grandparents had gotten for her. _

"_Did grandma and grandpa get you jammies?" Kurt asked, his voice full of excitement for his daughter. _

_She nodded vigorously. "What's on your jammies?" Blaine asked. _

_Elle held the pajamas up to her face for a moment. "Kitty!" she yelled. "Kitty hat, kitty hat!" _

"_That's right baby girl, kittens with Santa hat's on" Blaine said, picking her up. "Do you want to put your new jammies on? You can show them to Mommy when she calls on the computer" _

"_Pwease" the little girl said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at her dad. _

"_You learned that trick from your father." Blaine said, laughing as he carried Elle up the stairs to change._

_When they returned Carole was handing out steaming mugs of hot chocolate to everyone. Finn sat on the couch with his legs extended onto the coffee table. Burt was on the loveseat, which Carole snuggled down into, after placing two steaming mugs on the coffee table in front of Kurt, who was sitting on the floor tying to clean up a sea of wrapping paper. Blaine sat with his legs crossed in front of him and placed Elle in Kurt's lap. _

_Burt held up his mug and everyone followed suit._

"_To the best, and most wonderful family I could ever ask for. Every day of every year this house is filled with more love then I could ever possibly imagine. We love this new and still evolving family while we keep past memories and loved ones close to our hearts. We miss those that cannot be with us, but are thankful for those who are." He looked to everyone in the room. Kurt and Finn, thinking of their lost parents, Carole and him of their lost spouses, and Blaine, of his parents just half an hour away at a Christmas party he would never be invited to again. "I love every one of you from the bottom of my heart, and I am proud to call you my family. Merry Christmas." _

"_Merry Christmas." Everyone murmured._

"_Speaking of family." Finn said, removing his feet from the coffee table and standing up. "Rachel says that she's sorry she couldn't make it. She's going to come out to Kurt and Blaine's for dinner tomorrow though, her dad's are just going out for sushi. Oh, she says thank you for the pajamas by the way Mom she appreciates that they were blue and silver. But, she wanted me to give this to you guys after everyone had opened their presents. She said it was for all of us."_

"_Why don't you open it Finn?" Carole asked, pushing the box back into his hands. _

"_How about we let Ellie open it? Her names on the card too."_

_He placed the small gold wrapped box in Elle's hands. Blaine reached over to help her and after the paper was torn from the box reached in and pulled out a card, that rested on top of an ornament._

"_The lady thought I was crazy when I told her what I wanted to be engraved on this. You guys are the strongest, most loving family I know, and I'm so lucky to hope to be an official part of it someday. Love Rachel"_

_Blaine chuckled as he pulled the ornament from its box._

"_Looks like someone stole your idea, Carole" he said, as held the ornament up for the room to see. _

_It was golden star with "The Hudmelson's" engraved in center. In the bottom of the box lay a photo that Rachel had snapped last year of the family all wearing their Christmas pajamas, with the same name engraved on the frame._

"_Merry Christmas, Hudmelson's" Finn said, with a huge grin on his face._

_Elle had fallen asleep on the couch soon after Brittany and Santana skyped from California. They had left the house after many warm hugs and promises to wait until Burt and Carole got there the next morning to open the gifts from them. _

!

Kurt settled back on the couch with Blaine pressed next to him, looking at the tree. Kurt patted his boyfriend twice on the knee then used it as support to stand. He wordlessly offered his hand to Blaine and tugged him up. The climbed the stairs hand in hand and peeked into Elle's room to find her sound asleep.

They walked over to the bed, and each kissed her forehead gently.

"Good night angel," Blaine said sweetly.

"Sleep tight princess, Daddy loves you." Kurt cooed.

He stood and looked at the clock on the night stand. 12:00

"Merry Christmas Little Miss Elle." They whispered together, linking hands.


End file.
